The Longest Road
by Psamathe
Summary: After his return from Edora, Jack has some trouble adjusting to life back at the SGC. Team fic with some SJ UST.
1. Chapter 1

**  
**

"No Daniel!" Jack O'Neill said in the tone that everyone from a four star general down to a lowly cadet had learned to mean was final. Daniel however, seemed to have missed that particular lesson.

"Look at what these people have to offer!" the younger man argued. "Medicines, technology, weapons… and they're willing to trade with us. I thought that was what you wanted?"

Jack hesitated, second-guessing himself. Something about this place didn't feel right, but he was wondering if his instincts were running true. Three months away from action could do that to a man.

"Wasn't that what that whole black ops thing was about?" Daniel pushed.

They still hadn't forgiven him for that. Jack had tried to explain, tried to apologise but the rest of his team hadn't wanted to understand. He thought Carter would have realized that he'd only been doing his duty, but she had never had to cross the line and experience the darker side of their chosen career.

"Don't you think it's a little odd that they're willing to trade when no one else is?" Jack replied.

"No, I don't."

"How about you Carter?"

"I… uh… I…," she stammered.

"Do you agree with Daniel?"

"Yes, yes I do sir. I don't think there's any harm in finding out what they have to offer."

"Teal'c?"

Jack turned to the final member of SG-1. He had to find out if they were all against him.

"I concur," the big man replied.

So that was it.

He wanted to yell, tell them that this was his command not a democracy… But he didn't.

"Okay do what you have to do," Jack muttered as he walked away from them.

"Sir?" Carter called after him.

"I'm going to check in with Hammond, I'll be back in an hour."

"What about the hospital tour?" Daniel demanded.

"I'll send flowers."

Jack knew he was being childish. Storming off wasn't the best way to deal with this but he really wasn't in the mood for a team building exercise. As he strode away he could hear them talking about him, wondering if he was okay to go off on his own. Jack was past caring. If they got a trade deal, out of this, then great. If not… well someone would have to pick up the pieces.

It would have helped if he'd been able to articulate his concerns. Just saying that something didn't feel right wasn't enough… not anymore.

SG-1 had gated to this world two days ago. Jack had been hoping for a nice easy mission, a beach, some artefacts for Daniel, a dohicky for Carter… something nice a gentle to get them back into the swing of things. Unfortunately, General Hammond was a great believer in throwing you in at the deep end and watching to see if you'd swim. So here they were, in a first contact situation with a previously unknown race.

Even so, the past couple of days had been nice. SG-1 had been treated well; wined and dine, introduce to anyone who was anyone… no one had shot at them. Perhaps that was what made Jack so nervous. They were being treated with a little too much respect and not enough caution for his liking. No one seemed to be suspicious of their motives. No one seemed angry that these strangers were in their midst. It just wasn't normal.

Even in his darkest of moods, Jack couldn't deny that the place was beautiful. The graceful buildings sparkled in the sunlight, hurting the eyes if you looked at them for too long. The exterior of every structure was made of glass. How they had managed to form such mind-numbing curves, Jack wasn't sure… although Carter would probably have told him if he'd bothered to ask. Some of them seemed to defy gravity.

The Stargate itself was housed in the local equivalent of a museum. It had been kept as an item of curiosity, nothing more. Making it difficult to understand why no one had been surprised to see four people and a Naquadah reactor walk through. Maybe that was what was wrong with the humans here. They never seemed to register extreme emotions. Fear and hatred seemed alien to them. The more he thought about it, the more disturbed Jack became. Although there were plenty of smiles, he had never heard anyone shout or cry or laugh aloud. And some of his jokes had been very funny.

There was the usual scattering of people being escorted around the museum. They watched Jack activate the Stargate with expressions of mild interest. He wished they'd just go away. What he wanted to say to Hammond couldn't really be done in front of an audience.

"SGC, this is SG-1 niner," Jack spoke into his radio once the connection had been established.

"Go ahead," Walter Harriman's voice came back.

"Is General Hammond around?"

"No sir. He's in a meeting with the Tok'ra."

Damn. He had hoped that the General would be tipped off by the fact that Jack was checking in hours before schedule, realise that something was wrong and order them to get the hell out of there.

"Any idea how long he's going to be?"

"Likely to be all day."

"Okay… I'll check back later. O'Neill out."

So much for Plan A. Since Plan B involved rejoining SG-1 and going on what was likely to be a very boring tour, Jack wasn't exactly overflowing with enthusiasm. But if he dawdled enough on the way back then they'd start without him. An excellent strategy as far as he was concerned. If anyone questioned him, he could always claim he'd gotten lost.

With this in mind, Jack didn't take the direct route. He figured his sense of direction was good enough to allow him to stray from the beaten track, and it wasn't as if there was much of a crime problem here. He took the first left off the main street, wandering down the narrow side road at a pace that could only be described as a meander. Jack certainly wasn't in any hurry to rejoin his team.

If Jack had expected to see the wilder side of life on this world, he was sorely disappointed. The backstreets were as sterile as the main thoroughfares. Attractive, clean, the smattering of people he met all smiled at him as they went about their daily business. Jack was starting to conclude that there was no hidden secret on this world and his feelings were nothing more than those of a paranoid old soldier who should have been put out to pasture years ago.

As they had done some many times over the past few weeks, Jack's thoughts turned to Edora and the woman he had left behind. He was starting to wonder if coming home ad been a terrible mistake. Edora had given him some measure of happiness, of peace. Laira was nice enough, even if she wasn't exactly a soul mate. Jack was starting to convince himself that he could have made it work between them. Besides, he'd promised to go back someday, and he didn't want to be a liar. Idly, he wondered how long she would wait for him. 100 days and no longer? And time was slipping away. What with that whole mess with Maybourne, Jack realised he had been away from Edora for a whole month already.

Turning down another street he started to head in the general direction of the hospital. There were even fewer people here, but no one seemed to think he was out of place. Everyone in this city walked, short distances at any rate. They had some kind of matter transportation device to take them further afield. It was one of the gizmos Carter was particularly eager to get her hands on. She'd been muttering about the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and quantum entanglements since they arrived. Jack had tuned her voice out as soon as it took on that special technobabble tone she always used when describing the incomprehensible. She'd probably be glad to get a new CO who was a bit less…dense.

Crap.

Jack realised he'd reached a dead end and would have to retrace his steps. Maybe this whole 'off the beaten path thing' wasn't such a great idea after all … except there was a narrow alleyway running between buildings. It wasn't that wide, but Jack was pretty certain he could squeeze through.

As soon as he started walking, Jack regretted his decision, but he was too stubborn to turn back. No longer beautiful, the buildings rose above him, blocking out the sun. He found himself shivering in the sudden chill as he tried to fight an unexpected feeling of intense claustrophobia.

Surprisingly, he heard footsteps approaching. Jack came to a halt, peering into the gloom. There was no way two people would be able to pass each other. The person coming towards him was nothing more than a dark shape. He couldn't even tell if it was male or female.

"Hello?" he called out, alerting the newcomer to his presence.

He distinctly heard a cry of fear as the footsteps started to retreat. Jack picked up his own pace, curious to see who this person was. Bursting back out into the sunlight, he caught a glimpse of a figure fleeing down the wider street. Jack started to run. He skidded around a corner, only to find the road empty apart from a man walking sedately towards him, a benign smile on his face.

"You okay?" Jack asked. Convinced that this had been the person he'd been chasing.

The man just smiled, his features reminded Jack of someone who'd had excessive botox.

Jack glanced around, and up… in time to see something dart out of view. A dark oval shape was ascending rapidly to a higher level. He found himself scanning the sky. There were hundreds of them up there and Jack wondered why he hadn't noticed them before.

With renewed vigour, Jack started back to the hospital.

He had a few questions after all.

&&&

"Do you think he's okay?" Daniel asked as he watch Jack walk away.

He could tell Sam was torn between wanting to continue with the mission and her desire to go after her commanding officer.

"He'll be fine," she said after a moment's hesitation.

Daniel admitted to being a little surprised. Then again he wasn't about to run after Jack either. Before Jack had been marooned on Edora none of them would have hesitated, but now… They weren't quite sure how he would react to any offer of help. He didn't seemed like himself anymore. Daniel couldn't forget that Jack hadn't really wanted to come home … or how well he had settled down with Laira. Not that Daniel begrudged his friend a relationship with a beautiful woman, but this one seemed wrong somehow.

Jack had hardly spoken to anyone on his return. No sooner than he'd gotten back and Hammond had sent him on that 'secret mission'. Although Daniel now knew that Jack's bad mood had been an act, it had been a damn good one. He couldn't help feeling hurt by some of the things Jack had said. Their relationship had been soured further by the whole drawing straws thing. The man had been in a bad mood ever since but his behaviour on this mission had been the worst Daniel could remembered ... certainly on a par with the first mission to Abydos. At least their hosts hadn't taken offence. Politeness and even temper were the norm here so Daniel found himself wondering what they made of a man like Jack O'Neill.

The walk to the hospital was a pleasant one. On a world devoid of motor vehicles the air was always fresh and the atmosphere quiet and restful. The hospital itself stood in the centre of an area of parkland. From the outside, it reminded Daniel of an upmarket hotel. A comparison that remained true as they stepped into the mirrored lobby. The man who was serving as their guide hurried to greet them, his gently smiling face open and friendly. No… Daniel really couldn't work out what was bothering Jack. There was nothing wrong with these people.

"Felicitations Leader Zaruk," Daniel said, raising his hands in the traditional greeting.

"Felicitations Learner Daniel," Zaruk replied.

Zaruk was a short man, typical of his race in that his long sandy blonde hair was kept long and tied back from his face. Unusually, at least for Earth humans, the man's eyes were black.

"Where is Leader O'Neill?" Zaruk continued.

"He's uh… indisposed," Sam said.

She'd glossed over the fact he'd gone to speak to Hammond, Daniel noted and he wondered why. Was she starting to think Jack had a point? For a moment Zaruk almost seemed flustered.

"But we'd be happy to make the tour," Daniel added.

"The tour was designed for all four of you," Zaruk said, "Perhaps one of you could bring him here?"

"I will go," Teal'c said.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"Yes."

Teal'c seemed perfectly willing to leave but Daniel couldn't see why it made a difference as to whether Jack was here or not.

"Come… Come," Zaruk said once Teal'c had gone.

They followed the man through a set of double doors and into a long white corridor… more reminiscent of medical institutions the galaxy over.

"From what you were saying you've managed to eradicated many forms of disease," Sam said.

"That is true enough," Zaruk agreed. "Diseases of the body are easy to treat but those of the mind…"

"So this is a psychiatric institution?" Daniel guessed.

"I believe you would call it that."

"What about treating injuries?" Sam asked.

"These are rare."

"What no broken bones? Cuts? Skinned knees?"

"We are careful not to injure ourselves or others."

"But accidents must happen."

Zaruk shook his head.

The absence of vehicles would certainly cut down the rate of accidents, Daniel figured, but to eliminate them completely… Was that even possible?

"Does everyone here die of old age?" he asked.

"Not everyone… please follow me," Zaruk said.

He moved in front of them, picking up the pace slightly, making further questions impossible.

The featureless corridor ended in an elevator. Daniel assumed it would lead them to the area where the actual patients were. Hence he expected it to go up and was momentarily disorientated when it sank downwards.

"The bulk of the facility is underground," Zaruk explained. "I thought you would appreciate the opportunity to inspect our laboratory facilities."

"Sure," Sam replied.

Daniel risked a glance at Sam, wondering if she shared his misgivings. Damn but Jack was getting to him, Daniel realised. There was nothing untoward about this.

A second man met them as they stepped off the elevator. Pale, unassuming he was the type you forgot ten minutes after being introduced.

"Scientist Talos," Zaruk made the introduction.

"Should there not be two others?" Talos questioned.

"Warrior Teal'c has left to bring Leader O'Neill to this place. They will join us shortly."

Daniel wasn't so sure about that, but he nodded and smiled. Anything to keep the peace.

He trailed behind them as they walked into the nearest lab. Rather than show off the facilities, he remained quiet, letting Zaruk do the talking.

Daniel hadn't actually ventured into many laboratories since he'd completed Chemistry 101 but he recognised many of the basic components. There were, after all, only a limited number of ways to design a fume cupboard or a centrifuge. What surprised him was the range of equipment. It looked as if all the disciplines were thrown together. They passed several technicians who barely looked up from their work. Zaruk didn't really describe exactly what they were studying, although he threw the terms microorganisms and recombinant DNA around. Daniel didn't really know what to make of it, and he wandered away from the main group as something lying on a nearby bench caught his eye. It was roughly the size of a hubcap; black and shiny.

"What's this?" he asked.

Zaruk hurried over. Talos, Daniel noted, was conferring in hushed tones with one of his colleagues.

"I will show you," Zaruk said. "Scientist Carter… this will also be of interest to you."

The black object started to hum as Sam joined him. It rose into the air to hover above their heads.

"It is a diagnosis and drug delivery system," Zaruk continued.

"You use it instead of a doctor or nurse?" Sam asked.

"Not exactly."

&&&

Someone or something was following him. As soon as Jack stepped back onto the main street, the hairs on the back of his neck started to bristle, as if he was under some kind of scrutiny. Glancing around, he could see nothing more sinister than people going about their daily business. Remembering the devices he had seen earlier, Jack looked upwards but the sky was clear. He kept walking but the feeling didn't dissipate. Jack was too experienced to dismiss it as normal paranoia. In his line of work, it paid to be paranoid.

A low hum seemed to permeate the air, just the right frequency to make his teeth ache.

He found himself gripping his MP5 a little tighter. No one else seemed to notice anything. He looked upwards again. A dark cloud was forming overhead… over his head.

God, how many of those things were there? Hundreds? Thousands? Did they stretch over the entire planet? Come to think of it, where were the city limits? Jack hadn't thought to ask and he certainly hadn't seen anything that suggested a non-urban area. As he looked on several of the machines detached themselves from the main cloud and floated downwards. They hovered over one person, then another, always moving closer. No one seemed to think this was anything out of the ordinary. Jack noticed the hum of the objects deepened in tone as they paused above a particular target. He wondered if they were some kind of scanning device. He also questioned what would happen if he stayed still long enough to find out.

The man Jack had encountered had been running from these things. He knew that now… but no one else seemed to want to escape. Trusting his instincts, Jack started to walk that little bit faster. There were several of the things surrounding him, but somehow Jack knew that standing still would be a very bad idea. He broke into a run and pulling his 9mm free from its holster he took a shot at the nearest one. Whatever they were, the devices certainly weren't impervious to gunfire. Damaged, it crashed to the ground close to his feet. Jack bent down to take a closer look, only to find that a second had swooped in to take its place. He dealt with it in the same fashion only for another to come… then another. Discarding the Beretta, Jack swung his MP5 into play, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle. However many of these he took down more turned up to take their place. The dark cloud was keeping up with him easily and Jack found himself wondering if they weren't playing some sick game.

He kept running.

They were machines. They wouldn't give up. They wouldn't surrender. As soon as Jack reached the end of his physical strength then they would win. Jack wasn't so sure that moment was far off. When had he gotten so unfit? Three months on Edora and he'd never thought of going out for a run! Jack was starting to realise he'd given up on more than going home.

As he ran, Jack realised that he didn't even know where he was going. Getting back to the Stargate didn't seem possible. None of the buildings he passed seemed to open onto the street and the roads around him were blocked with people. Jack found himself wondering if they were doing it on purpose.

Jack had given up in his attempts to fight back. He needed all his energy to keep on running. Besides, there were so many people around that he was scared of accidentally shooting someone. The crowds were gathering to watch him being hunted down like a fox. They came closer and closer, impeding his progress and Jack tripped, fell and realised there was no where left to run.

He lay on the ground struggling to draw breath. Watching as the device floated down to claim its prize. From this angle, it looked as if it were laughing at him. Jack closed his eyes.

"O'Neill!"

Was that Teal'c?

The discharge of a staff weapon screeched through the air. Close enough that Jack could smell his own singed clothing. The device crashed to the ground with a satisfying clang as Teal'c fired a second shot. Jack opened his eyes to see the cloud of machines dissipate under the assault of electrical energy.

A large hand appeared in his field of vision and Jack found himself hauled to his feet.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"You are very welcome O'Neill," Teal'c replied.

Jack pulled his radio close.

"Carter? Daniel?"

There was no immediate reply.

"Where are they?" he demanded.

"They remained at the hospital," Teal'c said.

"Come on."

They were leaving. No questions, no arguments … Jack was not prepared to stay here a moment longer than he had to. He couldn't believe what had happened to him was a mere accident. As he glanced over his shoulder, he thought he could see the cloud of machines reforming. Teal'c's staff weapon had slowed them down, but nothing more.

Jack's emotions had quickly switched from antipathy towards his teammates to a deep concern for their well-being. If they were inside then they were probably okay…

Probably…

Which was never good enough.

&&&

Sam couldn't escape the feeling of pure menace as the machine hung in the air before them. Neither of their hosts appeared to be concerned, but even so…

"Would you allow us to run a diagnosis on yourself and Learner Jackson?" Zaruk offered.

She glanced across at Daniel who shrugged. If this was one of the medical advances these people were offering then they should probably find out how it worked. Just looking at it gave no clues. It didn't appear to have any appendages, it wasn't clutching a syringe. However, in the absence of Colonel O'Neill, Sam felt she should be the one to exercise a note of caution.

"Perhaps you could show us on one of your patients first?" Sam asked.

"Healer Talos will demonstrate," Zaruk said.

The device obediently floated over to Talos. Sam noticed the hum deepen as it took up station above the man. It remained in place for a minute before the sound rose in pitch again and it moved away.

"It has ascertained that Healer Talos is perfectly healthy," Zaruk told them.

He certainly didn't appear to have been harmed by the experience.

"I'll try," Daniel volunteered.

"Daniel," Sam cautioned, but she had to admit to being curious.

"What's the worst that can happen?" he returned.

Nodding, Sam stood back, letting the machine have access to Daniel. Its resonate hum seemed to take on a note of menace now it was scanning one of her friends. Sam glanced at her watch… 30 seconds … a minute…

"Zaruk?" she questioned.

"A different race of humans may take longer," he explained.

Two minutes… three….

"Daniel move!" Sam yelled.

But he didn't … or he couldn't. Sam wasn't sure which. Whatever, she'd had enough of this and reached for her zat, only to find her arms suddenly pinned behind her back. Talos was surprisingly strong and however much she twisted and strained, Sam couldn't get free. She heard the Colonel's voice from her radio but although she shouted, he didn't seem to be taking any notice. Was the machine blocking the communication?

"Do not worry Learner Carter," Zaruk said. "You will be much happier once the procedure is complete."

Daniel started to smile.

"Leader Zaruk is right," he said. "Just hold still Sam."

"No!" she screamed in useless protest.

The machine was moving away from Daniel…

Coming closer and closer…

Talos released her arms but Sam found she could no longer move. In a last futile gesture, she closed her eyes. She heard a zat gun discharge twice…

And the machine exploded in her face.

Suddenly free, Sam flung her arms up trying to brush away the fragments of burning metal. It was several seconds before she realised that Colonel O'Neill was standing in front of her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah… not so sure about Daniel though."

Looking around she could see the prone forms of both Talos and Zaruk, victims of the zat. Teal'c had herded the technicians into one corner, but they didn't appear afraid. Every single one of them was smiling.

"Daniel! Daniel! Snap out of it!" the Colonel was saying.

But their friend showed no signs of having heard.

"What the hell have you done to him?" O'Neill demanded.

"He's happy," one of the technicians said.

"Zaruk said it was a treatment machine," Sam said.

"Is it reversible?"

"I don't know."

She could tell that the Colonel was torn between wanting to get the hell out of there and concern for Daniel. With the machine currently in pieces around their feet Sam wasn't certain what he expected her to be able to do, but she bent down to pick up samples.

"Carter leave it. We're getting out of here," he ordered.

"Sir?"

"There's hundreds of those things out there. My guess is the conditioning wears off eventually and the people need to be zapped again. We're not waiting around long enough to get turned into zombies. Now zat those guys so we can get out of here."

Subdued, Sam did as she was ordered. Daniel seemed happy enough to go with them, the rictus like smile still fixed to his face.

The Colonel had been right all along, she realised as they paused in the lobby. He'd raised the flag and they'd all questioned his judgement. Sam really wasn't looking forward to the debriefing for this particular mission… that was assuming they managed to get out of here. Colonel O'Neill opened the main door a crack, just enough to see that the outside of the building was covered in the machines. He signalled to Teal'c.

"Clear us a path through," he ordered.

Teal'c fired once, twice, three times… before the Colonel would let them out of the door.

"Run for the 'gate!" he ordered.

Sam didn't need telling twice and she plunged through the door. Even as she ran, she noticed the machines starting to move in. Some of them had been damaged beyond repair and were littering the path. Teal'c and the Colonel must have waged a destructive route in order to get here.

"Down!" O'Neill ordered.

She immediately threw herself to the ground as Teal'c fired over her head, clearing the next section of their route.

They didn't encounter any human interference on their way back to the Stargate. Something Sam knew she should have been grateful for, but her body was telling her different. She was battered and bruised from having to fall over to order. Her shoulders ached from where Talos had forced her arms behind her back. Her hair was singed from the one time she hadn't ducked fast enough. Sam doubted she'd get much in the way of sympathy. Daniel had been injured and it was pretty much her fault.

"Carter, dial it up!" the Colonel told her.

As she punched the symbols into the DHD, Sam wondered how much of a dressing down she was going to get from Colonel O'Neill… or if she really cared.

&&&


	2. Chapter 2

**  
**

Janet Fraiser shook her head as she read Daniel's test results. Colonel O'Neill had blithely told her that the symptoms Jackson was displaying were temporary but right now, she couldn't tell one way or another. The fact he wasn't physically injured didn't give her much comfort. If anything this was worse. Janet could sew up cuts, reset broken bones, dole out painkillers and antibiotics, but this… He couldn't function the way he was. Certainly Daniel seemed happy enough but any traces of his quick intelligence had been erased.

Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill appeared to have returned unscathed so Janet's only other patient was Sam. There was nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises, but she seemed intent on hanging around the infirmary. Janet had the feeling that this mission had gone badly in more ways than one.

"Something on your mind?" Janet asked as Sam stalked past Daniel's bed for the third time.

"No, why?" the other woman replied.

"Because I cleared you ten minutes ago."

Sam blushed, but made no move to leave.

"This is all my fault," she whispered.

"What is?"

"Daniel… I mean Colonel O'Neill tried to warn us and…"

She broke off unable to say anything else. Janet fought the urge to sigh. Colonel O'Neill… she should have guessed. Ever since the man had been trapped on Edora she had been plagued by the uneasy suspicion that all was not as it should be with regards to Sam's feelings for Colonel O'Neill. There was something there Janet couldn't quite put her finger on. They weren't breaking any regulations, that she was certain of… but there was something…

Not that she could entirely blame Sam for finding him attractive. Most of the women on the base agreed on the fact that Colonel O'Neill was a hottie. He could be childish, arrogant, and downright annoying, but somehow his less endearing qualities were forgotten when he turned on the charm. Of course, most of the rest of the women on the base didn't have Sam's problem. They didn't work for the man. And Janet wasn't entirely sure that the attraction was one sided. There had been plenty of rumours flying about during the incident with the quantum mirror but Janet had yet to come across anyone who was prepared to spill. SG-1 were certainly being tight lipped over the affair.

"Yes, you probably made a bad call but Colonel O'Neill wasn't even there when Daniel got hurt," Janet reassured her.

"Which put me in command."

"If the Colonel was having doubts then he shouldn't have left in a snit."

Yes, Janet knew exactly what had happened. Teal'c was a great source of information. He had yet to learn how to conceal the truth. It was amazing how many injuries she'd mysteriously managed to find after a short discussion with the Jaffa.

"Sam, you know I'm right."

"Maybe… "

Biting her lip, she looked back at Daniel.

"I don't think he's going to make it to the debriefing," Janet reminded her gently.

Sam glanced at he watch, her face paling as she realised she was going to be late.

"Let me know how it goes!" Janet called after her.

&&&

"Sorry! Sorry!" Major Carter breathed as she took a seat at the table.

Teal'c frowned to himself. Major Carter was never late and she was sitting across from O'Neill rather than next to him… an ominous sign.

"How is Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond asked.

"Resting," Major Carter replied. "Dr. Fraiser is keeping him under observation."

"Then we'll get started."

General Hammond paused,

"So would anyone like to tell me what the hell went wrong?" he demanded.

"We were attacked," Teal'c replied before anyone else could. Under normal circumstances, he would have waited for O'Neill to speak first.

"I think he realises that," O'Neill grumbled.

"Sir, if I may," Carter interrupted. "On the outside the culture was peaceful. The people seemed happy and contented. It was only when we toured one of their medical facilities that we found the reasons why."

"They're all freaked out."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow, unfamiliar with the euphemism.

"High," O'Neill supplied, "stoned, zonked, wasted…"

"They were all drugged, sir," Major Carter interrupted. "I can only assume it was their way of controlling the behaviour of the population. The machines they showed us were used for some kind of emotional control. It's no chemical per se…"

"But the effect is the same," O'Neill cut her off.

"Why did they attack SG-1?" Hammond questioned.

"They're not big on individuality, sir."

"Major Carter, make sure the planet in question is locked out of the dialling computer."

"Yes sir," she replied.

Teal'c expected the briefing to end there and then, but General Hammond made no move to dismiss them. His face was unusually serious as he regarded the members of his premier team.

"I understand that Colonel O'Neill had raised some concerns prior to the attack?" he said.

"Damn right I did," O'Neill snapped.

"Yes sir," Major Carter admitted as Teal'c nodded.

"They wouldn't listen, sir."

His tone was reminiscent of the time he had stolen the Tollan device, as if he was deliberately distancing himself from them again.

"With due respect, sir, there was nothing to indicate they weren't sincere," Major Carter argued.

"They smiled too much!" O'Neill shot back.

"And for that reason alone, O'Neill mistrusted them," Teal'c added in support of Major Carter. He was not about to allow her to take all the responsibility for their actions. He and Daniel Jackson had been as much to blame. Since his friend was not able to defend his actions, Teal'c was not about to let Major Carter withstand the worst of O'Neill's anger.

"And I was right!" O'Neill reminded them.

"Without further evidence we didn't think Colonel O'Neill's suspicions were enough to risk jeopardizing the mission," Major Carter said.

"Last I checked you weren't the one in command."

"I was while you were gone."

"And look how great that turned out."

"That's enough!" General Hammond ordered.

Major Carter subsided into silence, as did O'Neill. But General Hammond did not appear to be angry. His sharp tone was more akin to disappointment. In the ensuing silence Colonel O'Neill spoke again.

"It's all a matter of trust, sir. If my team has no faith in my command then there's not much point in carrying on."

&&&

This wasn't the first time George Hammond had had grounds to question the actions of SG-1, but he couldn't recall another occasion that had caused him as much concern. He had watched other teams fall apart under the stress of off world travel but he had never expected SG-1 to disintegrate.

After dismissing the team, he had sat in his office for a long, long time trying to decide on the best method of dealing with the situation. Simply giving them time to cool off wasn't going to be enough. Their problems ran much deeper. Deep in his heart, George knew that Jack O'Neill had a point. Without basic trust in their commanding officer it would be extremely dangerous to send them back out into the field.

Ultimately, George blamed himself. He should never have allowed Jack to take on that Black Ops mission… not so soon after getting back from Edora. Even though their allies had specifically requested Jack's expertise, Hammond was sure they could have been talked into using someone else. It was with a heavy heart that he called Jack to his office.

"Take a seat, Jack," he offered as the younger man shut the door.

"Do I need to guess what this is about, sir?" Jack asked.

"I wanted to speak to you privately before coming to a decision regarding SG-1."

"It's all in my report, sir."

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Although the aforementioned report was probably highly detailed, the Colonel could be somewhat economical with the truth and it took a practised eye to realise when he was hiding something. George decided to cut to the chase.

"According to Sergeant Harriman, you tried to contact me two hours before you were due and forty minutes before you and the rest of SG-1 returned."

"I did?"

"Care to tell me the reason why?"

"I felt a need to voice my concerns, sir."

"You've never needed me to ratify your decisions before. Why this time?"

There was no immediate reply so Hammond stepped into the breach.

"Are you sure you don't have an issue with trusting your own instincts?" he suggested as gently as he could.

"You saying I've lost my nerve?"

"I'm saying you were out of the loop for a long time."

"Three months! I retired for longer than that!"

"The circumstances weren't the same. Admit it, you never expected to return from Edora."

"I didn't notice the Tollan or the Asgard having any complaints."

George sighed to himself. This was proving more difficult than he expected, and he couldn't help feeling frustrated. If Jack refused to see sense then George had to be the one to make the difficult decision.

"I'm disbanding SG-1 until further notice," he said.

"What?"

"You said it yourself Jack, without trust there's no point in going on. I'm not about to send you out again."

"Will this be permanent?"

"It looks as if Dr. Jackson is going to be out of action for a while. I'll review the situation when and if he makes a full recovery. You're dismissed Colonel."

Picking up his pen, George started to make imaginary notes on a nearby pad. He didn't look up again until her heard a quiet voice say,

"Yes sir."

And the office door closed.

Jack hadn't put up much of a fight, Hammond realised. That, if nothing else, was convincing evidence that he'd made to correct decision. He also found himself wondering how much damage he'd done to Jack in the process.

&&&

Jack stood in the corridor outside Hammond's office not sure where to go or what to do. No SG-1… With Daniel's recovery in the balance, he found himself wondering if the General ever planned to reform the team. No doubt, he'd find them other jobs to do. Carter was, after all, practically indispensable. Teal'c was always useful to have around… And Jack… he just didn't know.

Technically, Jack was still on duty, but the way he was feeling right now, he was tempted to go home but he supposed he owed it to Teal'c and Carter to give them the bad news in person. Despite the fact Jack's meeting with Hammond had been in private he had little doubt that the base grapevine would get hold of the facts sooner rather than later. He was of the personal opinion that Harriman had the place bugged. The way people were staring at him as he walked towards Carter's lab, Jack might have been tempted to think the story had broken already, but he'd been the subject of gossip ever since he'd returned from Edora and arrested Makepeace. He was well aware that a decent proportion of the SGC staff sympathized with the rogue group. There were people who thought that Jack was scum for ratting on one of their own. During his sojourn on Edora the SGC had taken on a whole bunch of new staff who knew him by reputation only.

At one time Jack had thought he was big enough and ugly enough to cope, but right now he wasn't so sure. No one had ever suggested he was unfit for command before, and Hammond had confirmed Jack's own doubts. He would have liked to blame some other member of his team, but he couldn't do that. Ultimately the responsibility was his alone.

Carter, as he expected, was working in her lab. Jack paused at the door and watched her for a moment. Maybe they would all be better off without him. After the disaster with Makepeace, Hammond could do a lot worse than give Carter her own command.

Knowing he couldn't put this off any longer, Jack knocked on the doorframe.

"Sir?" Carter practically snapped her spine in two as she came to attention.

"Take it easy," he replied.

"Something I can do for you, sir?"

She was being polite… far too polite.

"I just spoke to Hammond," Jack told her,"SG-1 are off rotation."

"For how long?"

"At least until Daniel's okay."

"And if he doesn't recover?"

Jack just shrugged. He couldn't tell if she was disappointed or relieved.

"I just thought you should know," he finished.

As he turned to go, another thought crossed his mind.

"Carter, while I was away…," he began.

"Yes?"

"Did you miss me?"

"Sir?"

Carter hung her head, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

"Thought so," he muttered as he left.

Jack found himself wondering what kind of priority had been placed on getting him back. If Carter had just been working on her dohicky in her spare time then it was no wonder it had taken three months. He didn't know why they'd bothered. Why they hadn't just left him there until the Tollan could send a ship… or written him off as MIA.

Teal'c was more difficult to find, but Jack eventually managed to track him down outside the mountain. Why Teal'c had chosen to kelnorim in the open air, Jack couldn't even begin to guess… especially as the ground was kind of damp. Still, he didn't think that mattered if you were a Jaffa.

"Hey," Jack said as he sat down next to the other man. He tried not to wince as he felt water soak through his pants. Teal'c opened one eye, and then shut it again.

"Is there something you require of me O'Neill?" he asked.

"You might want to book some time with Shaunac and Ryac," Jack replied.

"SG-1 is no more?"

Jack wasn't really surprised that Teal'c had guessed. He might not say much but he was pretty sharp.

"I wouldn't go that far," Jack replied. "but we're taking a break."

He was sure SG-1 would survive in some shape or form… even if some of the original team members went their separate ways.

"Is this because of your disagreement with Major Carter?"

"It's no one's fault, Teal'c."

"Indeed."

"People change."

"I have not changed."

For crying out loud, Jack thought to himself, this was worse than breaking up with his high school girlfriend.

"Say hi to Ryac for me," Jack said, abruptly ending the conversation.

He didn't know why but telling Teal'c was a whole lot worse than telling Carter. His friend seemed innocent in so many ways. Squads of jaffa didn't have personality clashes. If they did, then Jack imagined the solution would be loud and very messy.

&&&


	3. Chapter 3

**  
**

Ronnie hadn't always wanted to be an astronomer. In his early years he'd harboured ambitions to be a cowboy, a giant and Luke Skywalker … in no particular order. However, a high school trip to the local observatory had completely changed his ambitions. He'd hung up his light sabre and concentrated on his math, determined to make the grade. During graduate school, he spent his summers at the MDRS pretending he was colonising another planet. He knew it was an impossible dream but somehow Ronnie always believed it was within reach.

His current posting might have been considered boring by some, but the Deep Space project was his life. He found infinite satisfaction in listening out for the information from those distant ambassadors of mankind. Ronnie had been a child when the probes had launched, but he'd sat there fascinated watching the news as they'd made their rendezvous with the outer planets. He'd read everything he could get his hands on. Now he was here, part of the mission… Sometimes, Ronnie wondered what he'd done to get so lucky.

Of course, he hadn't been born when the Goldstone dish had received its most famous transmission. Ronnie always felt a certain amount of awe when he looked around and remembered that this was where Armstrong's famous words had reached Earth. Closing his eyes, he liked to imagine the euphoria when the world realised that man had achieved the impossible and had set foot on another world. Ronnie knew he'd give anything to make that kind of history, but he couldn't help feeling that time was running out. By the time the human race got to Mars he would be too old to go.

Which was a bit crap really.

Right now Ronnie was waiting for something to happen. He did that a lot. On the 25th February 2000, Voyager 1 was 1.15 x1013 kilometres away from Earth. Even at lightspeed, it took just over twenty-one hours to send a command and find out if it had been received. Glancing at his watch, Ronnie figured he had thirty minutes to wait. The communication would be recorded, but as far as he was concerned, there was nothing like hearing it first hand. There was a real buzz when the transmitter sprung to life.

Half an hour was just enough time to grab a coffee and see if there were any donuts left. Ronnie was half way out of his seat when he heard the burble of the transmission. He immediately checked his the time, thinking he had misread his watch. Unless Voyager had been travelling backwards, there was no way its message would arrive early. Very carefully, Ronnie sat back down and tried his best not to hyperventilate. This wasn't a time for panic. He had to make sure this was recorded, analysed and… he had to make sure it wasn't originating from any Earth-built probe.

If it checked out then… this was big… this was very big…

&&&

Jack stepped into the parking lot with a profound sense of relied. They day had dragged and he'd found there was a limit to the amount of pie he was able to eat in one sitting. Carter and Teal'c had been avoiding him. Daniel… well he was still smiling a lot. At least Jack could now go home and get his head together.

He wasn't thinking about retirement again … not exactly, but Jack was wondering if it wasn't time to take a desk job. In an odd sort of way, the thought surprised him. He'd always expected his body to give out and force him out of the field not an inability to command. Who was he kidding? He'd always been a few fries short of a happy meal.

Somehow going home alone was particularly difficult tonight. Usually, Jack didn't mind. He was a solitary man by nature. Right now, he could do with someone to sympathize with him. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about Edora and going home to Laira after a long day working in the fields. At the risk of being branded a pig, he wanted someone to cook his dinner, hand him a beer a generally pamper him a little. Stopping off at the 7-11 for a six-pack and a TV dinner was about as close as he could get.

He didn't have far to drive. There was a little known short cut from the mall to his house. The route was unlit, with just a couple of houses set back from the road. Jack never thought twice about using it. His was usually the only vehicle on the road. Even so, the sight of another set of headlights didn't worry him unduly... right up to the moment he realised the other car was on his side of the road and it wasn't slowing down. Jack slammed his foot on the break and hauled on the steering wheel in a desperate attempt to avoid the other vehicle. He already knew he hadn't been successful, even before the sickening crunch of metal on metal.

Jack didn't lose consciousness immediately but his head hit the steering wheel with enough impact to split the skin. The next thing he knew, someone was shining a torch in his face.

"Stop that!" he groaned.

"He's alive," a high-pitched voice squealed.

"I'll go and get mom," another one said.

"I'm fine," Jack protested.

Then he blacked out.

&&&

Sam met Teal'c in the infirmary, at Daniel's bedside. It seemed appropriate somehow. One look a Teal'c's face told her that he'd also been speaking to Colonel O'Neill.

"You too, huh?" she asked.

"Indeed," he nodded.

She'd give anything to know what Hammond had discussed with the Colonel. Neither of them had given any explanation as to why SG-1 had been disbanded… or as good as. Sam was hoping they'd get around to giving her another assignment sooner rather than later. Although she loved her lab work, Sam was already missing going out in the field. This was stupid when you thought about it, but she had a real dread that someone would think it a great idea to restrict her to on world duties. SG-1 had been an ideal opportunity and Sam couldn't believe it might be over.

"We screwed up, didn't we?" Sam whispered.

"I believe we did," Teal'c replied.

Sam brushed the hair from Daniel's face, remembering when it had been that much longer. What the hell had gone wrong? She wondered if she should go and see Hammond and try to talk him out of his decision. If she could prove they could all work together …

but Sam had her doubts. She admitted that she had been badly shaken by the Colonel's recent behaviour. Even though she knew he had been faking some of it, Sam felt like she didn't know him any more.

"Do you think this is for the best?" she asked Teal'c.

"I do not," he replied. "I believe that SG-1 is destined to achieve much more and we can only do so together."

She just smiled, wishing she could believe him.

"Major Carter?"

Sam looked up to see Janet standing behind them.

"We're just going," she said.

"No… no… it's okay. I just wanted to let you know that General Hammond has been looking for you. He wants you to report to the briefing room right away."

"Oh… uh… I'll be right there."

Bending down, Sam brushed a sisterly kiss on Daniel's cheek before hurrying to obey the order. She admitted to being a little confused. Was Hammond giving her a new assignment already? It was too soon; at least that was what part of her mind was saying. However, she was also relishing the chance to distract herself with something new.

There was a stranger in the briefing room. A man in his late twenties, his blonde hair dishevelled, his clothes were rumpled. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Dr. Ronald Simpson, this is Major Carter," Hammond made the introductions.

"Samantha Carter?" the young man questioned. "I read your latest paper on intra-universe wormholes."

"You're about the only person who did," Sam replied as she shook his hand.

She noticed the blast shield was down, blocking the view of the Stargate.

"Take a seat, Major," Hammond offered.

"What is this about, sir?" Sam asked.

"Twelve hours ago a signal was picked up by the Deep Space Network," Hammond began.

"It's not from one of our probes!" Simpson interrupted excitedly.

He'd obviously been dying to share the information with someone. No doubt, his superiors had been quick to quash any announcements Simpson might have made. The SGC would have been contacted as a matter of course.

"Where is it?" Sam asked.

"It's just entered the edge of the Kuiper belt," Simpson replied, "moving through the ecliptic plane."

"Towards Earth?"

"I don't know."

There was a discreet knock on the door and Walter Harriman stepped into the room.

"Excuse me sir," he addressed General Hammond.

"Sergeant?"

"There's a call for you."

"If you'll excuse me."

Sam stood as the General left the briefing room, before turning back to Simpson.

"What have you got?" she asked.

He handed over a sheaf of papers and Sam quickly flipped through them, running calculations in her head. Was this a hostile threat? Or merely a coincidence? Did they have some near neighbours that were just saying hello?

Sam knew there was only one way to find out. They had to get out there, as fast as possible.

"Wait here," she told Simpson.

General Hammond was still on the phone, but he waved her into his office. When he finished his call, Sam opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"It's Colonel O'Neill," he said. "There's been an accident."

&&&

Jack had to admit to being royally pissed. He hated hospitals at the best of times but at least the infirmary was preferable to this. He'd begged to be allowed home, but since there was no one there to watch him the doctor had refused to release him. If his head hadn't been hurting so much, Jack would have just walked home under his own steam. That and the fact he been carted off to an emergency room across the other side of town made escape a little difficult. He'd tried to call General Hammond but had been unable to reach him. It seemed the man had gone home for the night and Jack didn't feel like leaving a message. He didn't want the whole base knowing about this. Jack had then thought about phoning Daniel… only to remember that his friend was still indisposed. There didn't seem to be any point in trying to get hold of Carter.

He was still ranting to himself when the door to his room opened. Jack opened his mouth to snarl at whoever had the misfortune to come through,

" 'bout time," he began.

The lights snapped out and before Jack could adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness, he felt the weight of a pillow across his face. He lashed out at his attacker, but couldn't shake the man. Cursing his lack of mobility, Jack twisted his body as much as he could and managed to kick a leg in what he hoped was the right direction. There was a loud exclamation as he made contact. The pillow shifted slightly enabling Jack to take a few deep breaths of much needed air before he rolled off the bed.

He shouted as his injured body made impact with the floor. His head had hit something on the way down and he lay dazed for a second. At the most, he'd only bought himself a few moments, unless someone had heard the noise. And to think two minutes ago he had been bored. Footsteps came closer. Jack started to scramble backwards, unwilling to make this easy. He only stopped when a boot made contact with his face. Lying prone once more, Jack struggled to remain conscious as his assailant started to choke the life out of him.

Jack twisted and turned but he couldn't seem to shake his attacker. The man currently straddling his chest was roughly the same weight and height as Teal'c so the fact he was able to pin Jack down was not that much of a surprise. However good Jack was, he knew he was at a distinct disadvantage.

Was this how it was all going to end?

&&&

Teal'c couldn't have told anyone why he felt the need for speed. Instinctively, he found himself lengthening his stride as he walked away from the nurses' station. Major Carter and General Hammond had to hurry to keep up. Teal'c though he could detect sounds of movement as he pushed open the door to O'Neill's room.

The room was in darkness and it took Teal'c's eyes a few vital seconds to adjust. Where the light streamed in from the corridor, he could see two figures struggling on the floor.

"O'Neill!" he shouted.

His voice was enough to distract the attacker and O'Neill managed to break the vice-like grip. He then jerked his body forward, head butting the other man. Blood streaming from a broken nose, the assailant attempted to flee, but Teal'c easily caught hold of him, slamming him into the closest wall.

"Get security in here!" General Hammond ordered as hospital staff started to converge on the disturbance.

It did not appear as if the prone man would be moving any time soon, but Teal'c stood over him until the security forces arrived.

Major Carter, meanwhile, had crouched down beside O'Neill and was helping him to sit up.

"Ow… I'd forgotten how much that hurts," he complained, his voice sounding hoarse and strained.

"Take it easy, sir," she soothed.

"I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but what the hell are you all doing here?"

"The police identified your vehicle and found your military ID," Hammond explained.

"Right."

O'Neill clambered onto the bed and lay still whilst several nurses fussed around. Once they had ascertained that he had not suffered any further injury, Hammond ushered them out of the door.

"Can I go home now?" O'Neill whined.

"We'll get you out of here, Colonel," Hammond promised.

"I'd really hate for them to get third time lucky. It's such a cliché."

"Sir?" Major Carter questioned.

"Come on Carter, surely you're not that naïve?"

"You do not believe that your vehicle malfunction was an accident?" Teal'c asked.

"If it was I'll kiss Maybourne's butt."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Engaging in such a practice seemed a little out of character for a man like O'Neill. He was not, however, privy to Colonel Maybourne's sexual preference.

"I mean it's very unlikely," O'Neill added, sensing Teal'c's confusion.

Which made sense. O'Neill must have made many enemies in his years of service. Colonel Maybourne, in particular, would not have been happy with O'Neill's interference in his illicit operation.

"NID?" Major Carter suggested.

"Makes sense," O'Neill replied.

"I'll get the investigation underway," Hammond announced. "In the meantime I'm assigning Teal'c to…"

"I don't need a babysitter, sir."

"It's non-negotiable, Jack. When you're free to leave, you can either come to the SGC or I'll make sure there's enough security at your house."

"I have a gun at my house."

"That's an order, Colonel."

&&&

It was difficult for Jack not to feel disgruntled at his current situation. Even though he was home, he wondered if the SGC wouldn't have been a better option. Not that he minded hanging out with Teal'c but the man had been his constant companion for three days and Jack was feeling the need to regain his personal space. It wasn't that he wanted to do much with it, but he would have like to have the option to walk around naked if he chose.

And having people outside his house was almost as annoying.

Jack knew he should have been grateful. They were going to a lot of effort to make sure he was safe, even if he didn't think there was much point. He was pretty certain that Maybourne was behind this… being the only person that Jack had seriously pissed off in a while. The man was a professional. He would wait until the fuss had died down before trying again. Jack couldn't spend the rest of his life hiding in his house. Although the last assassin had been moderately inept, he was sure that eventually one of them would hit their mark.

As far as he was concerned, his options were limited. The truth was Jack was tired of it all. He couldn't think of a good reason for putting himself through this day after day. His body still ached from the aftermath of the attempts on his life. Hammond didn't think he was mentally up to commanding an SG unit. So what else was there? Very little, was the answer.

There was nothing keeping him here. Jack had no close family; he didn't speak to his ex-wife anytime other than Christmas. His friends… one of them was sitting on his couch transfixed by an infomercial for coat hangers, Daniel was still in the infirmary and Carter… Jack didn't even know what he felt about her. Somehow thinking of her just as a friend wasn't quite right. It was all so damn confusing.

He was due back at the SGC in the morning and Jack knew by that time, he had to have made a decision about his future. There was only one person who seemed to need him… and she was light years away. Jack had tried to forget Laira over the past few weeks. They had shared something very special but he had been prepared to leave it at that. Now he was wondering if he'd made a terrible mistake. In the midst of his loneliness, he thought of her.

Edora might have been lacking in modern conveniences but there were other advantages. The days Jack spent there had been long and rewarding. He'd been so physically exhausted that, at night, he'd been able to do little more than fall into a dreamless sleep. Even with aid from Earth, life there would never be easy, but it would be worthwhile.

&&&

"Er … hello?" Sam couldn't help grinning as she waved her hand in front of Dr. Simpson's face, trying to draw his attention away from the Stargate. Since his security clearance had been updated, it had been difficult to get him to concentrate on anything else. Not that he was the only one who seemed distracted. General Hammond also seemed to have something weighing on his mind. Sam had heard, on the grapevine, that Colonel O'Neill had been to see him earlier that morning but she hadn't been able to find out why.

"Uh… sorry … what were you saying?" Simpson stammered.

He seemed more interested in the big metal ring than the bona fide alien who was sitting opposite. Sam had to admit that she'd been vaguely disappointed when Martouf had answered their call for help. She'd been half hoping that the Tok'ra would send her Dad. There were times when she found Martouf's presence very distracting. The part of her brain that still belonged to Jolinar bombarded her with images that were quite off-putting.

Despite seeking help from Teal'c and her father, Sam was making little progress in her ability to control them.

"About the probe slowing down?" she gently reminded Simpson.

"Right… yes… the latest telemetry indicates that it will rendezvous with Pluto in fourteen hours."

"I'd say someone definitely wants to take a look at us, sir."

General Hammond nodded and turned to Martouf.

"How long would it take to get there?" he asked.

"We could reach your outer planet in ten hours," Martouf replied.

"Then you have a go. Let's see what this thing is. Dr. Simpson, try and work out where it's come from."

"Yes sir!" the young man replied.

If she were honest with herself, Sam was relieved that Hammond had approved the mission. She was looking forward to getting away from Earth for a while. The situation with Colonel O'Neill had deteriorated since the attempts on his life. Next time he got himself marooned on an alien planet, Sam was very tempted to leave him there. On the one occasion she'd been to visit him, he'd practically ignored her. Her only consolation was the fact that he seemed to be treating everyone else just as badly. Now he was back at work, it made her situation more difficult. It wasn't as easy to avoid him at the SGC.

Speak of the devil … the object of her thoughts was walking towards her, a bundle of papers clutched in his hand. He would have pushed right past if Sam hadn't said,

"Sir?"

"What?" he snapped.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm going off world for a while."

"Probe chasing?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I guess this is goodbye. Have fun."

"Excuse me?"

Sam didn't anticipate being gone that long, but there was something final about the Colonel's words. She glanced down at the papers he was carrying.

"You're retiring," she realised.

"Always said you were the smart one, Carter."

"But why?"

"Because you have a PhD."

"Why are you retiring?"

He took a deep breath and Sam sensed that perhaps he wasn't as antagonistic as he'd first appeared. This must have been a difficult decision for him, and pissing everyone off was the Colonel's way of making it easier for himself. She could see the marks on his neck, evidence of the recent attack.

"There are far too many people who want to kill me," he replied. "I'm tired, Carter, I want to get a life before I'm too old to enjoy it."

"Where will you go, sir?" Sam asked.

"Edora … I made a promise."

If Sam hadn't known better, she would have sworn she felt her heart break. What the hell was wrong with her?

"That's great," she lied.

"Yeah."

"I'd better…"

And she started to walk away. This was stupid. Colonel O'Neill had been such a large part of her life she couldn't just leave it like this. Not allowing herself time to think, Sam turned around and threw her arms about the Colonel's neck. It was totally unprofessional, but she didn't really care. His body was stiff beneath hers as he raised his arms to pat her on the back.

"Take care," he told her.

"You too," Sam whispered.

Suddenly, leaving Earth didn't seem like such a great idea. She was going to start crying, damn it. Not wanting to embarrass herself Sam pulled free of his arms and fled.

&&&

Martouf hated it when Samantha was unhappy. She would never tell him what was wrong, which made it that much worse. There were days that he cursed the fact that she had been able to use Jolinar's memories to track him down. As if her physical resemblance wasn't enough, Martouf sensed his lover's quick wit and generous spirit within this very different woman. Sometimes he felt like his heart was being torn in two and he hated himself for finding Samantha attractive.

He had the feeling Samantha wanted to be somewhere else right now. The book she had ostensibly been reading had fallen from her fingers and she was staring out of the window, watching the stars streak past. Martouf wondered if he had the right to intrude on her introspection.

"Samantha?" he prompted, cautiously.

"What? Oh… Martouf… I'm sorry, I guess I zoned out for a second," she apologized.

Martouf didn't have the heart to tell Sam that she'd been staring into space for the past hour and a half.

"Are you well?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, "Why?"

"You seem preoccupied."

Samantha bit her lip, an action Martouf found particularly endearing. He was also certain that her mind was on something other than the mission. She was rarely this unfocussed.

"If there is something I can do…." he ventured.

"Colonel O'Neill retired," she explained.

The smile she offered him lacked its usual sparkle. Martouf wasn't certain what he could say in reply. He was uncertain of the Earth conventions regarding such an issue. Retirement was a concept alien to the Tok'ra. Either you died in the line of duty or your body wore out. There was no period of rest and relaxation before death.

"This is bad?" he ventured.

"I'm going to miss him," she confessed.

This, Martouf could understand. He had lost many colleagues over the years. Loss and regret were part of the life he had chosen.

"I know he'll be happy," she continued. "It's just what he's always wanted…"

The conversation was taking an uncomfortable turn and Martouf was struggling to find a way to change the subject. Samantha was acting as if this retirement wasn't O'Neill's choice. Having met Colonel O'Neill, Martouf found it doubtful that anyone could force the man to so something he did not desire.

"We have almost reached out destination," he announced.

"Right."

Any traces of introspection were wiped from her face as Sam switched her concentration to the readouts in front of her. Martouf switched to the sublight engines and watched, as the stars became points of light again.

"There it is," Samantha breathed.

She pointed towards the planetoid that turned serenely below them. Martouf understood her awe. They were the first beings to see this isolated world.

"Look!"

A second sphere, a third of the size of the first, swung into view. He didn't think he'd ever heard her sound so excited. It was just another world, another moon, hardly large enough to be called a planet.

"There are two others," she went on.

"Two other …?"

"Moons. We thought Pluto only had one."

"Weren't you looking for a probe?" he teased, unable to stop himself smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Probe, right… scanning for it now," Sam replied, turning her mind to the task.

Martouf found it strange that humans were busy exploring the galaxy when they knew so little about their own system.

"Martouf take evasive…"

He lunged towards the controls, trying to swing them away, into a wider orbit. But he was too slow and a massive explosion drowned out her words.

&&&


	4. Chapter 4

**  
**

Sam never knew exactly what had hit them. She remembered seeing the debris on the scanner and wondering what the hell it was doing there. Pluto didn't have a ring… by the time she'd processed that thought it was too late. She felt as if she was still alive so she figured the object couldn't have been that large.

"Martouf?" she croaked.

She didn't know why she was worried. Given the fact he had a symbiote, he was probably in better shape than she was.

The lights had failed and the only illumination came from outside. Raising her head, Sam could see the dim outline of the planet they were still orbiting. As she watched she noticed a particularly bright star appear over the horizon and realised it must be the sun.

"Samantha?" Martouf called out.

"I'm okay," Sam replied.

Nothing seemed to be broken and apart from a few superficial cuts, nothing seemed to be bleeding either. Her right forearm stung, but Sam was quite prepared to ignore the discomfort. She reached out a hand and Martouf grasped it. He was on his feet and he helped her to rise. From what she could see, the cabin was more or less undamaged, but the door to the cargo hold had been sealed.

"What's the damage?" she asked.

"I really think you should rest," he protested.

"I told you I'm…"

Martouf was pointing towards her arm and Sam looked down to see that the sleeve of her uniform was missing and the flesh beneath disfigured by an ugly burn.

"Oh," she said as she sat down suddenly feeling nauseous.

Wounds on other people were one thing, but to smell your own flesh burning…

"There's a first aid kit in my pack," she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Samantha, your pack is in the cargo hold," Martouf replied.

"And?"

He remained silent for a moment. Sam had never appreciated being shielded from bad news and right now she was on the verge of getting really annoyed with him.

"The debris hit the rear of the ship," Martouf confessed.

"How bad is it?"

"The cargo hold can no longer maintain an atmosphere. I've manage to reroute the systems so we have enough oxygen in here."

"But?"

"The hyperdrive is no longer functioning and we cannot effect repairs. We have no food and no water…"

His voice trailed off. For a moment, Sam was grateful for the lack of light. It wouldn't do for him to see the expression of despair on her face.

"Okay … how about communications?" she asked.

"The Tok'ra do not have another ship in range and your own world cannot send a rescue craft."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I … I do not know."

"Then let's take a look."

If there was one thing Sam didn't like about the Tok'ra it was their fatalism. They seemed to be ready to lay down and die. Perhaps it stemmed from fighting the Goa'uld for so long, or from the knowledge that their race was dying out. Whatever the reason, Sam found it annoying. If they could send out a cry for help then maybe someone would hear it… maybe.

&&&

Daniel felt like he was drowning. He could feel his body, he knew it was there, but he didn't seem to have any control over its functions. There was someone speaking to him, but he was so detached that he didn't immediately realise who it was. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like they were made of lead. Whatever 'treatment' those people had given him, it was certainly taking its time wearing off. The last thing he remembered was standing in the lab. with Sam , Zaruk and Talos… he was guessing he wasn't there any more.

The voice still wasn't making much sense, so Daniel tried to focus on other sensations. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the tap of high heels.

This felt like the infirmary at the SGC. God knew he'd spent enough time there to be able to tell. There was something about the sheets … the brand of fabric conditioner? Whatever. They were always scratchy.

"Anyway, you should come visit… anytime…"

It was as if someone had turned the radio on.

"We'd love to see you."

A man's voice.

"Just don't expect much in the way of home comforts."

Someone he knew.

"And there's no coffee, but I can recommend the homebrew."

Jack?

"Or maybe not. It's pretty strong stuff. You'd probably wake up married to a goat."

Daniel tried to move, to open his eyes, to do something, but his body still wasn't cooperating.

"So… bye."

And footsteps moved away.

Giving up on his body for a while, Daniel tried to figure out what Jack had been talking about. Where was he going? Why was he saying goodbye?

"Jack?" Daniel tried to say.

Although to his ears it sounded more like,

"Mphshth."

But the groan must have made sense to someone because the next thing Daniel knew, Dr. Fraiser was shining a light in his eyes.

"Where's Jack?" he demanded

"Easy, Daniel," Janet warned.

"He was here."

"Yes, he was."

There was a catch in her voice. It was enough to tell Daniel that something was wrong.

"I want to see him!" he demanded.

"Daniel…"

"Now."

"I'm sorry, you can't. Colonel O'Neill retired. He's returning to Edora right about now."

"Where are my clothes?"

Daniel struggled upright, trying to get out of bed. Janet just stood back and watched. He was wearing a hospital gown, he noticed, one of the kinds that didn't fasten at the back. She must have anticipated he'd try something like this.

"Please Janet," he said. "I just want to say goodbye."

&&&

The last time Jack had stepped through the Stargate to Edora, he'd barely stayed there long enough to operate the DHD. As he waited in the gateroom he realised that this occasion felt just as unreal but he couldn't figure out why. Somehow, Jack had thought that, when he finally came to retire he would do so at peace with his decision. And he had been… right up to the moment where he'd said goodbye to Daniel. It just felt wrong to leave with his friend's life still in the balance.

But it was too late to change his mind.

It hadn't taken Jack long to sort out his affairs. He was taking very little with him. His house would be closed by the USAF. He'd left instructions to divide his belonging amongst his friends. It was as if he'd died. Although he supposed moving to another planet almost qualified as the same thing. He found himself wondering if Laira would be surprised. Jack had the distinct feeling that she'd never really expected to see him again.

She would be happy to see him, wouldn't she?

They had been intimate, but only that one time. If Laira wanted a child so badly, would she have moved on to someone else? Jack shook himself. This was no time for doubts. He hadn't been gone that long.

"Chevron one locked!" Harriman's voice rang through the Gateroom.

This was it. Time to go.

"Jack!"

He turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Dr. Fraiser was helping Daniel into the room.

"Nice of you to say goodbye," Jack said.

"Chevron two locked!"

"Don't do this, Jack."

"I have to."

"Why?"

"Because it's time."

Jack wasn't about to have this discussion again … not now.

"Chevron three locked!"

He turned to Daniel, pulling him into a rough hug.

"Take care of yourself," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

In a weird way, Jack would probably miss Daniel most of all. The fourth chevron locked.

"What would it take to make you stay?" Daniel hissed.

"Receiving transmission!" Harriman broke in. "You need to hear this, sir."

Walter, for some reason, had piped the transmission through to the gateroom and aborted the dialling sequence. Although distorted, the voice that echoed through the speakers was instantly recognisable. Jack hesitated for a microsecond before turning to Daniel.

"That should just about do it," he muttered.

Ignoring his luggage, he hurried up the stairs towards the control room.

&&&

Daniel didn't think he had ever seen Jack move so fast. He bounded up the stairs like a man possessed. Since everyone seemed to have temporarily forgotten that he was supposed to be in the infirmary, Daniel followed.

"Did you record that?" Jack was yelling at Harriman.

"Yes, sir," the sergeant replied.

"Play it back."

"Stargate Command, this is Major Samantha Carter…"

There was no disguising the panic in her voice. Where the hell was Sam anyway? Daniel found himself wondering. How had he managed to miss the fact she hadn't been in the Gateroom? He was so preoccupied that he missed the next couple of things she said.

"… We have sub-light engines only, food and water supplies are limited… request immediate assistance if possible."

Brushing Harriman to one side, Jack took a seat. For a man who claimed he was technologically ignorant, he had no trouble operating the communications systems, Daniel noted.

"Hold on Carter, we'll be there as soon as we can," Jack said.

There was no immediate reply.

"Jack?" Daniel questioned.

"She's on Pluto… or thereabouts. We won't get a reply for at least twelve hours."

"Right."

Daniel suddenly felt like the dumb one… something he wasn't used to. Jack meanwhile was running up the stairs towards General Hammond's office.

"What's she doing on Pluto?" Daniel asked no one in particular.

The staff in the control room must have assumed it was a rhetorical question because no one answered him. He realised that the only way he was going to find out what was going on was to follow Jack.

"No you don't."

A small, but surprisingly strong hand grasped his arm and Daniel found himself looking down at Dr. Fraiser.

"Sam's in trouble," he protested.

"And there's nothing you can do about it right now."

"Janet I feel fine."

"I'm sure you do. Now get to the infirmary."

"What if Jack decides to leave again?"

"I hardly think that's likely… now come on."

There was really no point in arguing with the Doctor, especially as several burly marines were standing close by. Obediently, Daniel followed Janet. He was certain Jack would keep him apprised of any new developments.

Daniel hadn't actually been lying to Janet. Aside from a faint headache, he did feel like much more his normal self. He also knew that Janet wouldn't be satisfied until she'd prodded, scanned and taken samples of every bodily fluid he possessed.

&&&

"Catch it, Father!" Rya'c yelled as he pitched the baseball towards Teal'c.

Surprisingly nimble for a man of his bulk, he leapt up into the air, caught the ball and threw it back towards his son. The Jaffa warrior was starting to wish that he had never allowed O'Neill to teach Rya'c this particular game. Although it improved hand eye coordination, Teal'c suspected that playing catch was not doing much to improve his son's skills as a warrior.

"Do you not wish to practise with the training staff?" he questioned.

"Not yet," Rya'c shouted back.

Teal'c wasn't about to push the point. These hours with his son were too precious to waste in argument. Hopefully Rya'c would have many years to hone his skills. Here, in the Land of Light, he had the chance to enjoy his childhood. It was a pleasant place to grow up.

With O'Neill retired and SG-1 as good as disbanded, Teal'c wondered how much of his battle could now be fought with the Tau'ri. There were other SG teams, but none who had earned his trust. He would take this time to carefully consider his future.

Later that night, when he was lying with Drey'auc, Teal'c realised he would find it very difficult to leave again. He was weary of battle. If he stayed then perhaps they could have more children. They would grow up in a place where they were free. His mind troubled, Teal'c almost welcomed the interruption the voice from his radio caused.

"Teal'c get back here, Carter's in trouble," O'Neill's voice sounded highly agitated.

"I will leave immediately," Teal'c reassured him.

Rya'c was asleep and Teal'c was loathed to wake him. Looking in on his son, he endeavoured to fix the memory in his mind. Drey'auc, however, was more difficult to satisfy. He could tell she was not well pleased by his abrupt departure. She would never understand that the separation was painful for him also.

To Teal'c's surprise, no one was waiting to great him when he stepped through the Stargate. Looking up, he could see O'Neill's familiar figure at the window of the briefing room. Divesting himself of his equipment, Teal'c hurried to join him.

"The Tok'ra have confirmed they have no ships in range," General Hammond was saying.

"The Tollan? The Asgard?" O'Neill snapped back.

"Are too far away and we haven't been able to contact Thor."

"That's the last time I save his little grey butt. Glad you could make it, Teal'c."

Ignoring O'Neill's sarcasm, Teal'c took a seat beside Daniel Jackson.

"You require a ship," he surmised.

"That can get us to Pluto sometime in the next two and a half days," Daniel Jackson added.

"So if you have any ideas…," O'Neill finished.

Teal'c thought for a moment. There were Goa'uld worlds close enough however stealing ships from a well-defended location would be dangerous. Not that he begrudged risking himself for Major Carter. But he would hate to spend his time uselessly in a Goa'uld cell whilst she was dying.

"There was a Goa'uld living on Earth," he said.

"Seth?" Daniel questioned.

"I do not believe he would have marooned himself here without means of escape."

"He could have had a Cargo ship hidden in the woods," O'Neill agreed.

"The site was searched pretty thoroughly," General Hammond argued.

"By whom, sir?"

"Good point."

"Colonel Maybourne?" Teal'c questioned.

"If Maybourne was in charge of the investigation then he would have made damn sure he kept the ship somewhere safe. He would have wanted an escape route too," O'Neill said.

"Are we sure he didn't use it?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"I'm guessing he stashed it somewhere near Washington. He was in Colorado Springs when it all went down… From all reports, he made a run for it. "

"So how can we locate this vessel?" Teal'c said.

"We have to find Maybourne."

O'Neill treated them all to a feral grin. He seemed supremely confident of finding Colonel Maybourne. Or perhaps he relished the opportunity to hunt down the traitor?

"How are you going to find him?" Daniel asked.

It was a fair question. From Teal'c's previous dealings with Colonel Maybourne, he knew him to be a cunning adversary. It was possible that he could disappear, figuratively speaking.

"I'll just give him a call," O'Neill grinned, "and make him and offer he can't refuse. With your permission, sir?"

"Do whatever you have to Colonel," General Hammond agreed.

&&&

Now the lights were on and the communications were working again, Sam realised she had no idea what to do next. Somehow she'd never imagined she'd be spending her last hours with Martouf. She had no illusions as to the possibility of rescue. Martouf had said the Tok'ra had no ships within range, and she believed him, which meant they were relying on their other allies. The Tollan were likely to have the same problem as the Tok'ra; they just weren't close enough to render assistance. Which left the Asgard … Sam supposed they might help if Colonel O'Neill asked them. But the Colonel would be on Edora by now and Sam doubted that anyone would think to call him back. It would be a while before he found out what had happened out here… if he ever did.

Sam was already thirsty. There had been a little water in the survival capsules, but that had been consumed hours ago. She had three days to live. Martouf might have a little longer, depending on whether Lantesh could protect him for the effects of dehydration.

To pass the time she and Martouf had been working on the other systems, seeing how much they could make operational again. Sam had learnt more about Goa'uld technology in the past five hours than she had in almost three years of study. Pity she'd never get to apply he knowledge.

"Done," she announced triumphantly. "We should have the scanners back."

Seated at the controls, Martouf flicked a switch and the display flickered into life. Sam studied the data eagerly. From the readings, it looked as if there was a ring of debris surrounding Pluto. Whether it was a permanent fixture or not, Sam couldn't tell.

"That's what hit us," she pointed out.

"You did not know it was here?" Martouf questioned.

"No."

He shook his head in bemusement. No doubt, he was shocked by mankind's ignorance but Sam didn't care. To Sam's mind, there was no fun in being omniscient. They were the first human beings to see this and if he couldn't get excited then it was just too bad. She was probably thrilled enough for both of them.

As they moved through their orbit, Sam started to look out for signs of the probe but it wasn't until the cargo ship moved out of the radio shadow of Pluto that they started to pick up the transmission.

"Is it anything you recognise?" Sam asked Martouf.

"No," he replied.

"See if you can get a picture of it."

"I can do better than that… look".

Sam had been so busy studying the digital readouts that she'd neglected to look out of the window. Her mouth dropped open. She didn't know what she had been expecting. Something the size of the Voyager probes? This one was much, much bigger. It had to be designed for interstellar travel. Sam didn't think it was FTL capable but…

"Is that an antimatter drive?" she asked Martouf.

"It isn't technology that I am familiar with," he admitted.

For a moment, Sam was surprised by his admission, before she remembered that all of the Tok'ra technology had been stolen from the Goa'uld. Innovation had probably died out centuries ago. Wherever she went in the universe, Sam had found that form followed function. After all, there was only one way to invent the wheel. The drive on the probe looked very similar to the speculative diagrams she'd seen published a couple of years ago. Theoretically speaking, it would be fast enough to reach the nearest star system within a human lifespan

"Scan for lifesigns," Sam said.

"I'm not detecting anything," Martouf replied.

"I wonder where it came from?"

Before Sam could speculate further she was distracted by a very familiar voice.

"Hold on, Carter, we'll be there as soon as we can get hold of a ship."

What Colonel O'Neill was still doing at the SGC, Sam couldn't imagine. She was just pleased to hear his voice. Even though Sam knew the chances of rescue were slim, she couldn't help feeling a little more hopeful.

&&&


	5. Chapter 5

**  
**

It was at times like this that Jack enjoyed letting the darker side of his personality come out to play. He was pretty certain that he could find Maybourne, he just didn't know if it would be in time to save Sam. After the briefing, Jack had gone home; picked up the card Maybourne had given him and dialled the number. Even though a strange voice answered the phone, Jack left a message. He was betting that Harry would have more than one toady in his old office monitoring his calls.

Maybourne's movements would be severely restricted and Jack was counting on that. The man was smart enough to know that, eventually, he would be caught. All Jack had to do was wait.

As the hours ticked by, it became difficult to remain calm. He was starting to doubt how desperate Maybourne might be. If he decided to wait a week, then it would be all over for Carter. How much longer did she have? Three days? No, it was less than that. With nothing else to do, Jack scribbled out the calculation on the back of an envelope. Assuming they'd gotten the distress call five and a half hours after the accident, which had been… he glanced at his watch… nearly five hours ago. It didn't take a genius to work it out. They should be getting a message back from her soon. Jack wished he could be there to hear it, just to reassure himself that she was still alive and that this was worth doing a deal with the devil.

Another hour went by. The only person to call was Daniel, who played Jack a recording of Carter's latest reply. She'd sounded fairly upbeat, babbling about the observations she and Martouf had made. On some level, Jack supposed that he should have been happy that something positive had come out of the mission, but he didn't think the human cost was worth it.

The call came at midnight. Not from Maybourne himself, but a nondescript voice who told Jack to be at a certain place, at a certain time… Harry wasn't about to make this easy. If Jack left now and drove through the night, he'd just about make it on time.

Jack met Maybourne in a park in a mid-sized town. The intervening weeks had not been kind to the man. Disguised by a scruffy beard, his formally chubby frame was almost emaciated and Jack didn't even want to guess the last time the man had bathed. In fact, he was indistinguishable from the rest of the hobos who seemed to congregate here. Jack found himself wondering if it was all an act. Or if Maybourne was really in trouble? At some level he must have trusted Jack, and hadn't expected to be betrayed by one of his own.

"That coffee?" Maybourne asked as he slumped down on the bench beside Jack.

"It's my coffee," Jack replied, taking a bit out of the raspberry scone he'd also purchased at Starbucks.

"What do you want, Jack?"

Neither me were in the mood for verbal sparring, so Jack got straight to the point.

"I want that Goa'uld cargo ship you've got stashed away."

"Excuse me?"

"We know Seth had a ship."

"You're delusional, Jack."

"I don't think so."

Looking Maybourne in the eye, Jack could see a flicker of greed. The former colonel, may not have liked his current situation, but Jack guessed he was willing to bargain down to the last cent to make sure his life was as comfortable as possible.

"Hammond knows I'm here," Jack lied, "In a couple of hours this place will be swarming with MPs. Or I could shoot you now and save them the trouble."

"But you wouldn't get the ship."

"Would that be the ship that doesn't exist?"

"Jack, you were the one that contacted me, remember? Now tell me what you've got."

"A new passport and enough cash to get you out of the US."

He could tell that Maybourne was impressed by the offer, but he wasn't one to give in easily.

"Why?" he demanded. "What can be so important that you'd chance letting me go?"

"Carter," Jack replied, knowing that the admission would be costly. He hated to appear vulnerable before this man. Leaving Maybourne to the authorities, or even shooting him, was tempting. But if Jack did that, Carter would die. To his surprise, Maybourne nodded, almost sympathetically.

"Damn fine woman," he agreed.

So Maybourne had a crush on Carter… who'd have thunk it?

"There's one more condition," Harry went on.

"What?"

"One day, you are going to let me walk."

"You think we'll meet again?"

"I'm counting on it."

&&&

"Are you sure about this?" Daniel asked Jack.

"Where would you hide an alien ship?" Jack shot back.

"Not Area 51."

"Have you been there recently? The place is so full of alien crap that no one's going to notice one more crate."

"Pretty big crate."

It wasn't that Daniel didn't trust Maybourne as a source of information; it was just that… he didn't trust Maybourne and he was surprised that Jack did.

"Are you sure?" he ventured.

"Yes Daniel," Jack replied. "Maybourne has too much to lose … trust me."

Daniel nodded. He supposed that if Jack had found Maybourne once he could it again… and he doubted that Maybourne would survive the encounter. In fact, Daniel would probably hold Jack's coat for him. Teal'c could bring snacks. It would be fun.

"But we're not here in an official capacity," Daniel went on.

"What gave it away?" Jack grinned.

It was the middle of the night. They were dressed in black, with paint on their faces. They had night vision goggles and various other paraphernalia… there hadn't been enough time to go through the proper channels. They were, after all, about to steal something that didn't officially exist. If anyone at Area 51 found out about what was languishing in one of the warehouses, they'd want to take the ship apart and not put it back together again.

As they cleared the perimeter fence, Daniel realised that he was actually enjoying himself. Of course this wasn't their usual foray into enemy territory. For a start, they were only armed with Zat guns… which would be a problem if bullets started flying. But they did have the benefit of local knowledge. Jack, Daniel noted, had no problem in stealing from their own. He found himself wondering what his friend's position on pilfering from their allies might be now that one of his friends was in danger. Jack's morals could be conveniently inconsistent at times.

The three of them had met in Nevada, Jack having considered a return to Colorado Springs a waste of time. Teal'c and Daniel had brought schematics with them, and details of the sentry movements. Jack had studied them intently for a number of hours whilst Daniel had found himself chafing at the delay but he had been too happy to be back together as a team to comment. Doubting Jack had almost destroyed them.

"Wait here," Jack hissed.

He moved away from them, little more than a shadow in the darkness, leaving Daniel and Teal'c crouching behind some crates. Jack had been right about one thing. This place was a mess. Daniel hated the waiting. It made him nervous. He found himself wanting to talk, pee or both. Sometimes it didn't help that Teal'c was so impassive. In these situations, he was able to act as if he had no emotions at all, and Daniel envied his ability to remain detached.

Jack appeared again, signalling that the two of them should follow. He led them around the corner of one warehouse and across an open space to another.

"This is it," he said.

Naturally, they weren't about to use the front door. There were windows around the back, high up in the wall. One of them was open. Daniel suspected it was something Jack had organised.

"Teal'c," Jack ordered.

With a boost from the other man, Jack was able to reach the window and clamber through it. There was a muffled thump as his body hit the ground the other side. Thirty seconds later a grinning Jack appeared at the open door. Daniel noticed he was limping slightly.

"You okay?" Daniel asked.

"Never better… it's here. Come on."

Daniel pulled out a torch and flashed it around the space. The warehouse was filled to the roof with crap. In three years, the SGC teams had brought a whole lot of stuff through the Stargate. Some of it Daniel recognised, some of it was so alien he wondered what kind of lifeforms could possibly have come up with the designs. He was starting to understand how something could get lost here. Hidden from immediate view, covered with a tarpaulin was the ship. Locating the entrance, Teal'c climbed inside, whilst Jack and Daniel tried to clear some of the boxes and artefacts impeding their departure.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c appeared from under the tarpaulin. "This ship will not fly."

"Why not?" Jack demanded.

"A number of the control crystals are missing."

"Son of a…"

"Maybourne?" Daniel questioned.

Picking up what was probably a priceless alien artefact, Jack hurled it across the warehouse. It landed with a clatter, making them all hold their collective breaths. If someone had heard that…

But no one came.

"Okay, Maybourne wanted to use this as an escape route so he must have hidden the crystals somewhere close. Daniel, Teal'c see if you can find them here."

"What are you going to do?" Daniel asked.

"Search his office."

&&&

Jack was more annoyed at himself than he was at Maybourne. He should never have trusted the slimy little rat bastard, not with something as important as Carter's life. Maybourne had given in too easily and Jack should have guessed there would be a catch.

It also explained why Harry hadn't used the ship. He could have probably gotten into the warehouse, but not the office. Which made what Jack was about to do more than a little crazy, but he didn't have a whole lot of choice.

He hadn't been to Area 51 that often. The last time had been when they'd been looking for the Touchstone. Maybourne had shown them around and had given a pretty convincing act of pretending not to know what had happened to the second Stargate. Jack should have been suspicious then, but he'd actually believed that the man had been telling the truth.

The admin block was blazing with light. People here worked around the clock, analysing, testing and whatever else eggheads did, which, naturally, made Jack's job more difficult. There was one sure tried and tested method of getting in there undetected, but it meant more waiting around until an opportunity presented itself. He'd already been gone half an hour; Teal'c and Daniel would be mounting a rescue mission if he was gone much longer.

Sure enough, ten minutes later the door swung open and a man in a white coat stepped outside. He took a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and lit up. Jack made sure he never got to finish his cigarette. Firing the zat was a risk but there wasn't another way of disabling the man without hurting him. Jack was lucky. Given the nature of the research these people carried out, odd noises and strange smells were SOP. All Jack had to do was stash the man's unconscious form in an out of the way spot and steal his lab coat. The man's passcard was in the pocket and Jack used it to get through the door.

There weren't that many people about. Those whom Jack met, merely nodded at him, the lateness of the hour was definitely working in his favour. However, he had no idea where Maybourne's office actually was. There seemed to be more labs here than he remembered. Lots of flashing lights and strange looking glassware, whiteboards covered with equations that would make even Carter break out in a sweat. He passed a group of arguing scientists, one of whom asked his opinion on something he didn't understand. Jack just shook his head and grinned at her, hoping his natural Irish charm would get him by. She blushed and turned away. He decided to risk asking for directions.

"You know where I can find uh…" Jack began, fumbling for the name of Maybourne's replacement. Smith? Smythe? S… something… "Scoggins' office?"

"I take it this is your first time here?" she smiled.

"Yeah."

"Down the corridor, first on the left."

"Thanks."

He hurried away before she asked any more questions… or gave him her phone number.

The office showed all the signs of someone having recently moved in. There were boxes all over the place and the waste bin was full of trash… Maybourne's trash. Okay, so where would Harry hide the crystals? Jack sat down at the desk. The drawers were locked but judicious use of his pocketknife was enough to break in. He pulled everything out, checked underneath and in the space at the back, but found nothing. The filing cabinets were empty. Damn Maybourne! Damn him to hell! He deserved the miserable life he was forced to lead. Jack picked up the phone, to call Hammond. With any luck the authorities could catch up with Maybourne before he left the country.

"Looking for something?"

Jack looked up. He should have been surprised to see Maybourne, but he wasn't. The man closed the door behind him and took the seat opposite. Jack stared at him for a full minute before pulling out his zat and aiming it at the other man.

"Come on Jack, if you shoot me you'll never find the crystals."

"What do you want, Maybourne?"

"Somehow leaving the US isn't enough."

"You want us to take you to another planet."

"I always said you were smarter than you looked."

"No deal, Maybourne."

"Then say goodbye to Major Carter. I imagine the farewells will be quite touching."

"Sure I'll take you to another planet, Harry. How does Pluto suit you?"

"A little chilly."

"That's where we're going. That's where Carter is. After we're back, I don't care what you do with the damn ship. I'll give it to you."

"I wish I could believe you Jack."

Maybourne's body language was supremely confident. He knew he had the winning card… or did he? He had the crystals with him, Jack realised. That was the only possible reason he might have had for coming here.

"No deal, Maybourne," Jack said as he shot the other man.

Searching Maybourne's body wasn't exactly a pleasant task, especially as he'd secreted the crystals in his underwear. Gross… really, really gross. Jack was about to leave when he realised that it couldn't possibly be this easy. Teal'c hadn't said how many crystals were missing. Jack had three… were there any more? Surely, Maybourne wouldn't have put it… The very thought made Jack feel sick. Calming himself, he decided to think about this logically. Maybourne's nameplate had been thrown in the trash. With a grin, Jack picked it out. Sure enough, tucked into the triangular hollow was a blue crystal.

Leaving Maybourne where he was, Jack headed out of the office.

&&&

"How long?"

Daniel Jackson had last asked that question thirty three and a half seconds ago. Since the answer hadn't changed, Teal'c decided to ignore him.

"We'd know if he'd been caught, right?"

"I believe an alarm would have been raised."

As Teal'c spoke a klaxon blared out across the base.

"Damn it," Daniel Jackson swore.

Teal'c stuck to his own language as he echoed his friend's sentiments. They both hurried to the entrance of the warehouse and peered out into the darkness. Several soldiers ran across the open space, in the direction that O'Neill had taken. A zat gun fired; once, twice, three times … and running footsteps could be heard. O'Neill appeared hurtling around the corner of the building opposite and straight towards the warehouse.

"Catch!" he yelled and hurled a package towards Teal'c. "Get her in the air."

It was the control crystals. Without hesitation, Teal'c turned back towards the ship. He could hear gunfire now and a yell from Daniel Jackson. His friends were buying him time, but he didn't know if it would be enough. Putting the crystals back was far more difficult than taking them out. There were several possible configurations, but only one would allow the ship to take off. It was supposed to be a security device, one that Teal'c was cursing. As First Prime of Apophis, basic Tel'tak maintenance hadn't been part of his duties. He slammed the last crystal home, hoping he had the configuration correct, when he heard Daniel Jackson's voice again.

"Teal'c! Give me a hand here!"

Teal'c hurried back outside. The door to the warehouse was shut and Daniel Jackson was dragging O'Neill across the floor.

"They're right behind me," he panted.

Sure enough there was a muffled explosion and the door collapsed inwards. Teal'c grabbed hold of O'Neill and carried him bodily into the Tel'tak. Dumping him in a corner, he hurried to the controls. O'Neill had been bleeding from somewhere and his blood stained Teal'c hands. He didn't have time to find out how badly the man was injured.

There was one-way out and Teal'c took it … straight up. The roof was nothing more than corrugated iron and crumpled as the Tel'tak burst through. Within minutes, they had reached open space. Teal'c turned back to check on O'Neill.

The blood had come from a wound on his temple.

"Looks like the bullet just grazed him," Daniel Jackson said.

"Indeed. O'Neill is fortunate."

O'Neill was starting to regain consciousness, batting Daniel Jackson's hands away.

"Did we make it?" he groaned.

"We did," Teal'c replied.

"Cool. Let's go and get Carter."

"Jack, I think you should maybe…" Daniel Jackson began.

"I'm going, Daniel. This is nothing… trust me."

He struggled to his feet and managed to walk the few steps to the co-pilots seat, before collapsing.

"See… nothing wrong… wake me when we get to Pluto."

&&&

General Hammond listened to Sam's voice with a heavy heart. Over the past few hours, it had become steadily weaker. He suspected the end was close… if it hadn't happened already. Her voice was already six hours old. George wasn't sure how long he'd been on duty. He'd been present each time a message from Sam had been received. He wasn't about to let her die out there without knowing there was at least a friendly voice on the other end of the radio, that she hadn't been forgotten about.

When he'd spoken to them, the Tok'ra had seemed more concerned at losing Lantesh than Martouf. George had struggled to keep his temper and he knew he'd been very short with Garshaw. Luckily, the woman hadn't appeared to take offence. It was a damn shame he hadn't been able to contact Jacob Carter. George was certain that his old friend would have managed to get here, whatever the cost to the Tok'ra cause. As it was, Sam's father would lose the chance to say goodbye.

It had been twelve hours since George had heard from the rest of SG-1. Daniel Jackson had called to say that they had met up with Colonel O'Neill, but since then nothing. He'd tried to contact Area 51 to find out if anything unusual had occurred, but the switchboard operator had refused to transfer his call. George knew he was going to have to do a lot of fire fighting once SG-1 had accomplished their mission. He was planning on using either the national security or under alien influence as an excuse. Since Area 51 had been under the control of Colonel Maybourne there was still a lot of weeding out to be done at the facility. George could quite understand Jack's reluctance to go through official channels. He could only hope that no one had got hurt.

"… I'll call again in… uh… four hours," Sam was saying, "Major Carter out."

George shook himself, realising he'd missed most of what she'd said and ordered Harriman to play the message back. It didn't sound as if there was any change in the probe. From Sam's description, it was just hanging there, making occasional scans of the planet below. She still had no idea as to its function or its interest in the outer solar system. Surely, whoever had built it realised that life would only be found on the warmer worlds.

Taking a pen and paper George started to compose a reply. Deciding what to say was difficult, especially since he had nothing in particular to report. He'd like to be in the position to offer some hope, to give both Sam and Martouf a reason to hold out just that little bit longer. The words he had written seemed totally inadequate.

"Major Carter, this is the SGC…." George paused and cleared his throat.

"Sir, it's Colonel O'Neill," Harriman interrupted.

"Put him through."

"Morning General!" O'Neill's flippant tone was definitely welcome. "Just wanted to let you know we're in Earth orbit."

A low cheer could be heard running through the control room.

"Glad to hear it, Colonel," Hammond replied. "What's your ETA?"

There was a pause and George could hear Jack consulting Teal'c.

"About ten hours, sir. The hyperspace engines aren't operational."

"Make best speed, Colonel and call me when you get there."

"Yes sir."

George couldn't help the grin spreading across his face. To hell with military detachment.

"Major Carter, this is the SGC," Hammond announced. "SG-1 are on their way. I repeat SG-1 are on their way!"

&&&

"SG-1 are on their way!"

General Hammond's voice echoed through the dimly lit cabin but Martouf could barely rouse himself to listen to him. The fact he moved at all was due to the necessity of relaying the message to Samantha. He doubted she'd heard it. She'd slipped into an uneasy slumber a couple of hours ago and seemed loathed to wake from it. Martouf found himself wondering if it was fare to disturb her. Surely, it would be better this way? She would slip easily from dreams to death. No more pain.

Sighing to himself he shook her gently.

"What?" she moaned.

"We had a message from General Hammond," he said. "You're friends must have found a ship."

"They're coming?"

"Yes."

But there was something wrong. Distress was evident in Samantha's eyes. She was struggling to her feet, attempting to get to the controls.

"What's wrong?" Martouf asked.

"They can't… they don't know…" she gasped.

"Don't know?"

"What's out here…?"

"They know. I'm sure General Hammond has passed on all of our reports."

Sam didn't seem to be listening. The dehydration was affecting her thought processes and the worry that the same fate might be awaiting her friends was very real to her. Martouf knew he was in better shape because of Lantesh. The symbiote was doing his best to stave off the worst of the effects and weakening itself in the process. Looking at Sam, Martouf wondered how much longer she could last. Her lips were cracked, her skin was as dry as paper. He imagined her heart was pounding as her body attempted to compensate for the loss of plasma. She had to make several attempts to activate the communications systems.

"This is Major Carter, do not I repeat do not…"

But before she could finish the message another voice spoke, as if in reply.

"And I know what you're thinking, Carter and it don't make a difference. We're coming out there even if it's to pick up the pieces!"

She slumped back in her seat, seemingly defeated. Martouf regarded her with some surprise. To what had Colonel O'Neill been referring?

"Samantha?" he asked.

"I was going only going to warn them," she replied.

"Teal'c is an able pilot. I am sure they will succeed."

"Our orbit is decaying. By the time they get here, there might be nothing left."

Martouf was immediately angry with himself. He hadn't even noticed.

"Perhaps we should land the ship?" he suggested.

Sam didn't reply. Her eyes had closed and it looked as if she'd lost consciousness again. Martouf returned to his contemplation of the planet below. Perhaps landing would buy them a little more time but their damaged ship wouldn't offer much protection to the intense cold.

"Carter! Carter you there? We'll be there in three hours… I repeat…"

It was O'Neill's voice again. Reaching forward Martouf switched off the speaker. He wanted to die in peace.

&&&

"Damn it, they're not answering!" Jack swore.

He knew it was useless to ask if Teal'c could coax anymore speed out of the ship. As it was, the infrastructure was practically shaking apart around their ears. They were almost close enough to have a real time conversation and now… Jack felt Daniel's hand on his shoulder, exerting a calming influence.

"We'll get there," his friend said.

"I know," Jack replied, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

If only to do nothing more than collect the corpses and take them home. Jack let his head drop into his hands, thinking of Carter and everything she was leaving behind. God, how the hell was he supposed to face Jacob?

What with the fault in the hyperspace engines and the other creaks and groans it was obvious that Seth hadn't maintained this ship in anything like fully operational condition. The Goa'uld must have been very comfortable on Earth and hadn't thought that he'd ever have to leave. If Maybourne had used it he would have been in for a very unpleasant surprise. Somehow, that thought wasn't as comforting as Jack expected it to be.

When Teal'c finally announced that they were about to enter orbit, Jack was already halfway out of his chair. Behind him, Daniel was already strapping on as many water bottles as he could comfortably carry.

"We'll use the rings," Jack ordered, "bring her in nice and close, Teal'c."

He found himself holding his breath as the other man expertly manoeuvred the tiny craft. As soon as the ship was on station, Jack and Daniel were transported across to the stricken vessel.

Jack felt himself gag as he found himself on the bridge of the other ship. He couldn't identify the smell but it reminded him of death.

"Daniel," he ordered.

The other man wasted no time in crossing to Martouf.

"He's alive," he said.

Jack bent anxiously over Carter. Beneath his fingers, he could feel the faint, rapid flutter of a pulse.

"So's Carter!" he called out.

Daniel threw him a water bottle and, as carefully as he could, Jack moistened her lips. She stirred fitfully, but didn't waken.

"Get them back to the ship," he said.

Daniel dragged Martouf over to the rings, whilst Jack carried Carter. He set her down on the floor and stepped back.

"Aren't you coming?" Daniel asked.

"I just want to check on something," he replied.

He didn't know why he had the urge to stay behind, not when two people's life were in the balance. Jack found himself wandering towards the front of the ship. He could clearly see the alien probe. For some reason it really gave him the creeps. There was something almost hypnotic about watching it and somehow, he didn't think it was just interested in Pluto.

Suddenly, the engines flared into life and the probe started heading toward him. Jack knew it was probably an optical illusion, but help ducking as it appeared to zoom overhead. He guessed that the probe was about to break orbit and head further into the collar system. Jack only had a matter of minutes to make his decision. Acting on an instinct he didn't exactly understand, Jack set the scout ship's self-destruct. All he knew was he didn't want that probe… probing the inner solar system. He didn't want it to find Earth.

"Teal'c, get us out of here!" he yelled as he appeared on the other ship.

Luckily, the other man didn't even think of arguing. As it was, the Tel'tak wasn't far enough away not to feel the effects of the explosion. Only Teal'c managed to stop himself getting hurled across the cabin.

"What the hell did you do?" Daniel demanded as he picked himself up from the floor.

"A pre-emptive strike," Jack replied.

He was well aware that Daniel didn't approve of such things but they were both more concerned about the people they had rescued than starting an argument. Martouf was already coming around. He was sitting up and sipping the water Daniel had given him. Carter however, was giving them more cause for concern. They tried to get fluids into her but she needed to be in the infirmary.

Jack had an additional set of worries. The wound on his head had reopened and he was trying not to drip blood everywhere. Battered, bruised but triumphant, they limped home.

&&&


	6. Chapter 6

Sam opened her eyes and smiled to herself. Waking up in the infirmary wasn't an unusual experience for any of SG-1. It looked like they'd beaten the odds yet again. She only had some vague memories of the trip home. She remembered lying on the floor of a Tel'tak and familiar voices urging her to drink. Glancing across at her arm, she could see the drip snaking down into her vein. No doubt Janet would have her hooked up to the thing until her electrolyte levels were back to normal. Apart from a little residual dizziness and a sore throat, Sam felt fine.

It was late, but Sam had been sleeping so much that she was wide awake now. She considered calling a nurse to get something to help her sleep but Sam realised that this was the first time she'd been alert in hours, days even. She decided she wanted to stay that way for a while longer.

Rolling onto her side, Sam realised she wasn't alone in the infirmary.

"Sir," she hissed.

Colonel O'Neill twitched but he didn't wake up.

"Sir!" Sam repeated, a little louder.

His eyes fluttered open.

"Hey Carter," he smiled, "How you feeling?"

"Better. How about you?"

"Headache, Fraiser says it's a concussion. One of us is right."

Sam laughed.

"Where's Martouf?" she asked.

"Back with the Tok'ra. I don't think they trust us to look after him."

By the tone of O'Neill's voice, Sam could tell that the mistrust was mutual. She was disappointed that Martouf had gone; she would have liked the chance to thank him. There was no doubt that Martouf had been instrumental in keeping her alive. Still, it was likely their paths would cross again. There would be plenty of time to let him know how grateful she was.

Then something else occurred to her.

"Sir, you're still here?" she questioned.

"Yeah, well, looks like the retirement plans have been put on hold again," the Colonel grumbled.

"Good."

Sam hadn't meant her comment to be overheard, but the Colonel seemed to have the auditory senses of a bat.

"Good?" he repeated.

"I would have missed you, sir," she admitted.

"Really?"

His face lit up like a child in a chocolate factory.

"We all would have," she amended, realising how personal her comment might have seemed.

"That's good to know, Major," he replied with a smile.

The sound of approaching footsteps stilled their conversation and Janet appeared, looking tired but happy to see that Sam was awake. She was less pleased with Colonel O'Neill. Sam found herself sniggering at the Doctor's refusal to believe that it wasn't his fault and that Sam had been the one to wake him up.

"Is there anything I can get you?" she asked both of them.

"Blue Jell-O?" she asked.

Sam had a real craving for the stuff, and it would be easy to eat given the fact her throat was a little sore.

"Got any pie?" O'Neill added.

"I'll see what I can do," Janet smiled.

&&&

Ronnie Simpson removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. When he'd accepted the position at the SGC, he'd immediately assumed it was going to be more exciting than his job at the Deep Space Network. On one level it was. He knew he was part of something bigger than anything he could have imagined, but the hours were long and the work was more intensive than he'd expected. Not that he wanted to quit. Give it a couple more years and, who knew? He might actually get to go through the Stargate. It was that thought that kept him motivated, that kept him looking through the database of stars, calculating their proper motion and actual distances.

The probe had to have come from somewhere nearby. That was the basic premise Ronnie was working from. He'd already checked the usual suspects; Proxima and Alpha Centuri, Barnard's Star, Lalande 21185… The propulsion system Major Carter had described wasn't capable of travelling faster than light so nothing more than ten light years away was considered a suitable candidate. Which was fine if you were just going to consider the stars the human race actually knew something about. Unfortunately, there were a whole bunch of others that had been catalogued but no one actually knew how far away they were. Dim, uninteresting stars for the most part. Stars that had not been considered worthy of further study.

Enter Ronnie Simpson.

Sitting back in his chair, he gazed at the ceiling. If he only had a little more information… Colonel O'Neill had destroyed the probe rather than let it get any closer. A tactical decision but Simpson couldn't help wishing they'd had the opportunity to study it in more detail. How fast was it capable of travelling? How old was it? These were all facts that could have been instrumental in discovering where the probe had come from.

He did have one advantage in knowing the direction it had come from. The probe had approached the solar system from above the ecliptic plane. Assuming it had travelled in a straight line, conservation of momentum etc… well, it meant he didn't have to search the whole sky.

"How's it going?"

Ronnie looked up to see two people standing behind him. He recognised Major Carter but the man he hadn't met before.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson," the stranger introduced himself.

"You're an astronomer?" Ronnie asked.

"Archeologist."

"Okay … uh… in answer to your question, not great."

Major Carter leaned forward, taking a closer look at his computer screen. Ronnie desperately hoped she wouldn't find anything wrong. The last thing he wanted was to get booted off the program because his work wasn't up to scratch.

"You're right," she agreed, "this could take years."

She stepped back, apparently deep in thought.

"How about the message the probe sent?" she asked.

Ronnie shook his head. They'd analysed the transmission but it didn't seem to mean anything.

"The binary code was gibberish," he replied.

"You sure it's binary?" Dr. Jackson asked.

"What?"

"I mean it could be based on something else."

"Daniel, all computer systems are based on binary code," Major Carter said.

"But what if it's using some other means? They might not have sent it to talk to us."

Opening his mouth to argue, Ronnie shut it again when Major Carter seemed to be seriously considering the suggestion. Gently pushing Ronnie out of the way, she took his seat at the computer. Her fingers were a blur as they sped over the keyboard. Ronnie had no idea what she was doing.

"Base sixty?" she questioned.

Looking over her shoulder Ronnie could see that she was right.

"The Babylonians used a sexigesimal system," Dr. Jackson said.

Which really didn't help. At least that's what Ronnie thought. Dr. Jackson, however, seemed to believe differently.

"I've got to check something," he shouted over his shoulder as he hurried out of the room.

Major Carter offered Ronnie a sympathetic smile.

"You'll get used to it," she told him.

&&&

There were times when Daniel really hated books. His library was vast and searching for something was always a time consuming process. It would be so much easier if this kind of stuff could be found on the internet. Daniel had thought about doing it, but he had to be honest with himself and realise it was probably a task for his retirement. He would start a website; Not that daydreaming was helping his current situation. Daniel knew he'd seen something, somewhere, he just couldn't remember where. He searched through volume after volume but turned up nothing. Sitting back in his chair, he wondered if he shouldn't give up. Sam and her team would find it eventually.

He closed his eyes, trying to visualize the book and the page. His memory was close to eidetic. It was a paperback, which was odd because there weren't many of those in his collection. Daniel looked about himself. It hadn't been here. That meant the book was in his apartment. Cursing to himself, he realised he was going to have to go home to find it.

Oddly enough, he also remembered beer… lots and lots of beer. Daniel only kept beer in the house when he knew that Jack was going to drop by.

Jack?

Daniel hadn't been at home, he'd been at Jack's place and the book in question had been lying on the coffee table. He recalled picking it up and starting a long diatribe against popular science and trendy academics … just before Jack had packed him into a cab and sent him home.

"Jack I want to borrow a book," Daniel announced when he turned up on his friend's doorstep half an hour later.

"Bart Simpson's Guide to Life?" Jack offered.

"No … it was on your table… about six months ago?"

"Right … Daniel have you been overdosing on candy again?"

"Jack…"

"Come in, mi casa, su casa and all that good stuff."

"Thanks."

Jack kept most of his books out of sight. They were scattered around the place in an obvious effort to disguise their number and diversity. Daniel eventually found the volume he was looking for in the bathroom, behind the toilet.

"What do you want that for?" Jack demanded, when Daniel emerged triumphant.

"It's a theoretical work, relating the Babylonian myths to the possibility that the sun is part of a binary star system," he replied.

"If you say so."

The spine of the book was broken, someone had read it cover to cover, and if it wasn't Jack then he had an invisible housemate. Daniel decided not to comment.

"Mind if I borrow this?" he asked.

"Knock yourself out."

"Got any coffee?"

"I have beer."

"Good enough."

Daniel didn't drink much of the beer. He knew his tolerance for that particular beverage was low and he wanted to keep his mind sharp. The more he read, the more he wondered if this was actually going to be any use. There seemed to be plenty of conjecture but very little scientific fact. The only clue he had was the Babylonian mathematical system. Or perhaps he was the wrong person to be looking at this? It needed an astronomer.

"Jack, do you think any of this is remotely possible?" he asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Could you drop the dumb act, just for a second?"

To his credit, Jack looked a little ashamed of himself.

"I don't know, Daniel," he admitted. "I find it hard to believe there's a star so close that we haven't found yet."

"But it's possible?"

"Yeah, I guess. If it was dim enough … hell it might not even be a star."

"Excuse me?"

"There's this little thing called a brown dwarf. Kind of a failed star, between 10 and 90 Jupiter masses, they're not large enough to fuse hydrogen."

Was it his imagination or was Jack starting to sound uncannily like Sam?

"Any idea where we should look?"

"Yeah… yeah … maybe I do."

&&&

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair. There were a whole bunch of geeks all staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. This was way, way out of his usual territory. No one ever asked his advice on anything of a scientific nature. Hell Carter was the only one who had ever mentioned the fact he owned a pretty decent telescope. Then she'd had the gall to remind him to use a solar filter when they had been stuck back in 1969.

Although Carter probably wouldn't laugh aloud, Jack wasn't so sure about Dr. Simpson. Jack prayed to all of his Irish ancestors to give him the words to get through this. There had to be a couple of Saints somewhere in the O'Neill lineage … as long as they didn't hold the whole lapsed thing against him. He was used to standing up and talking but it was usually about tactics or some new weapon. In those cases, Jack was the acknowledged expert and his audience hung on his every word because they knew that listening to him could keep them alive.

"Er …." he began, "I … Uh…"

Why couldn't he form a coherent sentence? The longer he hesitated the worse it got. Hell, he could feel himself going red. Jack O'Neill hadn't blushed for forty years. Not since Mary Fishbourne had forcibly kissed him under the mistletoe at the school Christmas dance.

"The star we're looking for is probably a red dwarf, magnitude between 7 and 12… with a semi-major axis of 1.5 light years. It could range between 1 and 4 light years from the sun."

Simpson and Carter nodded in unison, making Jack feel a little more confident. More nods, Jack looked over towards Daniel who grinned. He wasn't sure this was going to help much. To his knowledge, there were about 3000 candidates.

"What has this to do with Babylon?" Simpson asked.

"Actually it's Sumer," Daniel corrected. "That's where the Babylonian sexigesimal system originated."

"Okay, what has this to do with the Sumerians?" Carter demanded.

The expression on her face was one of censure. She didn't approve of them teasing the new guy.

"The Sumerians had an exceptional grasp of astronomy and cosmology," Daniel said. "Their science and law was given to them by the 'gods'."

"Goa'uld?" Major Carter suggested.

"Not in this case, Anunnaki, a group of powerful gods who lived amongst them. They were supposed to come from the 12th planet."

"Daniel…"

"It was known to the Sumerians as Nibiru and there were references to it all over Mesopotamia."

"And this is the best bit," Jack added.

"Nibiru is a red star that moves across the heavens."

"So they've been here before and I think I know where to find them now."

He paused, for dramatic effect.

"Where?" Carter asked rising to the bait.

"Sagittarius. It's where the red star was last seen."

"There's a quote from the book of Job," Daniel began, but Carter cut him off.

"'Alone, he stretches out the heavens and tread upon the farthest deep. He arrives at the Great Bear, Orion and Sirius, and the constellations of the south … He smiles, his face upon Taurus and Aries; from Taurus to Sagittarius he shall go…," she said a little sadly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise, earning himself a dirty look.

"So I went to Sunday School… big deal," she glared, but Jack wondered if her knowledge didn't come from someplace else. Jonas Hanson, for example? There had to be some reason behind the sadness in her eyes.

Jack's words had had the expected effect. No one wanted to believe there could be another race in the cosmic backyard. They needed to find that star, he realised, if nothing more than for his own peace of mind. Judging by what Carter said about their technology levels, they hadn't cracked the light barrier yet, but they were still way ahead of Earth.

They needed to get out there and take a look.

"Carter, get to work on the Tel'tak we got from Area 51. I want that hyperdrive operational. Simpson, find that star. Daniel I want everything you can find on this nibble thing."

"Nibiru," Daniel corrected.

"Whatever. See if you can work out who or what might be waiting for us."

"What are you going to do?" Simpson asked, not realising that he shouldn't be asking that question.

"Intimidate you," he replied.

Carter frowned at him.

"Or, eat pie in the commissary," Jack amended.

Despite the excellent nature of the dessert, Jack couldn't keep away from the labs for long… and not from some perverse desire to be annoying. He wanted to be in on this discovery. Besides, Simpson actually let him play with the stuff that Carter never let him touch. She always seemed to be convinced that Jack would break something important.

"Sagittarius, not a great place to look," the younger man ventured while they were taking a break for coffee.

Jack nodded. He'd spent many a pleasant evening gazing at the constellation. The galactic centre lay in that direction, not to mention a whole host of other deep space objects. Finding a dim star amongst so many wouldn't be easy, especially as its motion across the sky would be negligible. The computer behind him was currently doing something very complicated in order to try to search for it. Apparently, Carter had written the program in her spare time. Like everything she did, it was very efficient, but Jack would have felt more confident if there had been more flashing lights and beeping.

"This could still take a while," Simpson warned.

"I know," Jack replied.

"Or we might not find it at all, even if it is there."

"I kn… "

The computer bleeped and both men turned towards the screen. The words …

TARGET AQUIRED

…flashed on the screen.

&&&

The star was unremarkable and, at this distance, no one on Earth could say whether it had planets or not. They did not even know if this celestial object was the fabled companion star of the sun, or if it was merely a wanderer that had once passed a little too close to the solar system.

Teal'c had not expected to be back at the controls of a Tel'tak quite so soon. His planned return to the Land of Light had been postponed, much to Drey'auc's annoyance. Teal'c had not given his wife an opportunity to express her displeasure, however. A short conversation was all that was required on these occasions… at least it had been when he had been in the service of Apophis. Fear of their 'god' had kept the arguments to a minimum. Since his defection to the Tau'ri and his battle to regain his wife's allegiance, Teal'c had noticed many changes in his woman. She seemed to want more from him but he did not know how to treat her any other way. Drey'auc was not a warrior like Major Carter, nor a healer like Doctor Fraiser. Teal'c was forced to admit that his experience with women who weren't slaves of Apophis was lacking.

With the hyperdrive back in operation, their journey would be over in a matter of hours and his teammates were taking the opportunity to relax in the rear of the craft. At least that was what Teal'c assumed they were doing. O'Neill was the only one who was actually sleeping. Major Carter was tapping away at her laptop whilst Daniel Jackson was wrestling with an unusually large book. He appeared to require Teal'c's help with something as he was attempting to manhandle the tome towards the front of the ship.

He dropped it onto an area of the console that was, fortunately, clear of any major systems.

"Have you ever come across a people known as the Annunaki? They were a group of Sumerian deities who allegedly tampered with the genetic make-up of mankind."

Teal'c had to consider the matter. He had come across many races during his service with the Goa'uld and sometimes it was difficult to remember. Sometimes, he did not want to remember.

"They were supposedly responsible for the development of the Sumerian civilization but they left sometime around 3760 BC, just before the rise of Dynastic Egypt," Daniel Jackson went on. "Incidentally that date coincides with the passage of Niburu through the solar system."

"Before the rise of the Goa'uld," Teal'c said.

"Exactly."

Now Teal'c remembered.

"There was a battle," he said.

"For Earth?"

"Yes."

Daniel started to leaf through his book, the pages crackling in protest at the abuse.

"Why? What was so important?" he asked.

"Earth is a rich source of gold," Teal'c replied.

"Wait a second…"

Finding the correct place in the volume, Daniel muttered for himself for a moment before saying aloud,

"There's something here about an 'Elixir of Life' that was allegedly made from gold … wait … that can't be right."

"What is perturbing you, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"It says the liquid was red."

"That's due to the size of the gold nanoparticles," Major Carter spoke up.

Teal'c had not even been aware that she had been following the conversation. She was speaking in soft tones, so as not to disturb O'Neill. However, Teal'c did not believe that O'Neill would choose this moment to awaken.

"If you make of colloidal suspension of gold particles at less than 100 nm its red," she went on. "It's due to the way the particles diffract light…"

"But what's so special about it?" Daniel cut her off.

"This isn't really my area of expertise, but there's been some interesting research in electronics, medicine… all based on nanoparticles of gold. Who knows what an advanced civilization may have discovered?"

"I know the metal you speak of is highly prized by the Goa'uld and not merely for decoration," Teal'c added, "almost as much as Naquadah."

"And gold is relatively abundant on Earth… compared with the rest of the universe that is."

This information, interesting as it might have been to Daniel Jackson and Major Carter, did not tell them what might be waiting on this new world. Or even if there would be anything at all. Civilizations could rise and fall over the thousands of years since the star had passed close to Earth. The probe was evidence of a fairly advanced society, Teal'c realised, but no one knew how long ago it had been sent.

Whilst Major Carter and Daniel Jackson continued to discuss their theories, Teal'c glanced over his shoulder towards O'Neill. The man's eyes were open, and by the expression on his face, Teal'c could tell that he'd heard every word.

&&&


	7. Chapter 7

**  
**

Sam made sure she had the front seat as they drew close to their destination by dint of stealing the chair whilst Colonel O'Neill was in the bathroom. She felt a little guilty about it. The Colonel's passion for the lunatic fringe of popular astronomy had led them here. He didn't seem to mind though, coming to stand behind her as the ship dropped out of hyperspace. As strange as it might sound, they didn't get much opportunity to view the worlds they visited from orbit. From that perspective, the Stargate was a disappointing method of travel. It was a bit like a package holiday where you didn't get to see more than the beach and the hotel.

There it was, a red star floating in front of them, closer to Earth than it had any right to be. And that wasn't all. As Teal'c guided the Tel'tak closer, Sam's attention was fixed on the scanners. There was something else here, something big.

"Wow," Sam breathed.

"What?" the Colonel asked.

"It's a binary, sir, but not with a normal star."

"Brown dwarf?" he guessed.

"Yeah… I mean I think so… no one's ever seen one up close. It's got a planet. I'm reading ten times the mass of Earth… but it's rocky."

"How about the main star?" O'Neill asked.

"Three planets, two in the temperate zone but no signs of life."

"You sure about that?"

"Sir?"

"It's just… nah… forget it."

She turned around to look at him, but his expression was neutral, controlled. Sam had no idea what he was thinking or feeling. She was suddenly aware that she'd questioned his judgement yet again. This time it was more than a gut feeling. The facts were right in front of her eyes. The planets circling the red star were rocky, barren. They could support life, barely.

The planet orbiting the brown dwarf was another matter. Atmospheric composition was consistent with a fairly advanced civilisation.

"Let's take a closer look," the Colonel ordered.

It took them almost as long to reach the planet, as it had to make the trip from Earth. Deliberately slowing their transit, they made a thorough record of the system as they passed through. Sam knew she'd find the information fascinating at some other time, but right now, she was frustrated by the delay.

As they drew closer to the planet, she found herself marvelling that anyone or anything could live there. The gravity alone would be enough to crush a human. There was an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere and evidence of water. However, what was more exciting were the domed structures that appeared to cover the surface. Sam suspected that Daniel was a little disappointed. It looked as if he'd carted half his library along for nothing.

"I'm picking up lifesigns," Sam announced.

It was the first time anyone had spoken in what felt like hours. The Colonel didn't reply and Sam found herself holding her breath, wondering what his next order would be. Surely, they hadn't come this far just to turn around and go home again.

"Take us down, Teal'c," O'Neill ordered, "a couple of klicks outside the nearest dome."

Sam grinned at him, but the smile didn't stay on her face for very long as it quickly became clear that Teal'c was having problems. They were heading for the closest structure, even though he was trying to turn the ship away.

"What?" the Colonel demanded.

"I am unable to change course," Teal'c replied.

The Colonel tapped Sam on the shoulder and she swapped places with him.

"Systems check?" he barked.

"All systems are functioning within normal parameters," Teal'c said.

"Gravity?"

"It's high but the Tel'tak should be able to compensate," Sam answered.

"I hate to go all sci-fi, but you think we're caught in some kind of tractor beam?" Daniel suggested.

"If we were on a microscopic level…"

She let her voice fade away. However impossible it might have sounded, there didn't appear to be another explanation. An opening was appearing in the surface of the dome and the Tel'tak was heading straight for it.

&&&

Jack would have liked to have been able to face this on his own terms and not forced into a decision that put his people in danger. The ship was inexorably heading towards what he could only assume was enemy territory.

"Let's gear up," he ordered.

No one argued with him. Jack figured they had five minutes before entering the building and SG-1 were ready to go in three and a half. Then all they had to do was wait for the inevitable. As the ship descended, Jack caught a glimpse of bare, rocky terrain and scrubby vegetation. There were no trees, he noticed. He wondered if it was because the gravity was too high. Thirty seconds later, all he could see was the vanishing sky.

Even with the illumination from the cabin, Jack couldn't see anything outside.

"Cut the lights," he ordered. There was no point in giving the enemy any more of an advantage.

"That's odd?" Carter muttered.

"What?"

"I don't feel any heavier."

"Been cutting down on the cake?"

"No sir, I mean this doesn't feel like a high gravity world."

She had a point, but it wasn't something Jack needed to worry about right now.

"Any chance we can take off again?" he asked.

"I do not believe so," Teal'c replied.

"Right."

Jack took point as they headed through the hatch, SG-1 fanning out to stand beside him as they got outside. Even in the darkness, he knew there were people out there. It didn't feel like an empty room. He still didn't know if they were in the presence of enemies or friends. Despite a reputation to the contrary, Jack wasn't the kind of guy to shoot first and ask questions later.

"Hello?" he called out.

There was no response. Taking his cue from Jack, Daniel spoke up,

"We're explorers," he began, "we mean you no harm."

Jack had to admit that SG-1 didn't appear particularly benign, assuming that whoever was out there could see in the dark. On the other hand, he wasn't about to order that they put their weapons down.

"If you could just turn on some lights, then maybe we could take a look at each other?" Daniel suggested.

There was a low hum from somewhere, but Jack couldn't divulge the source. The darkness did not diminish and it certainly didn't seem as if they were acceding to Daniel's request. He was about to suggest they retreated when something struck him in the chest and Jack found himself flying through the air, eventually hitting the interior wall of the Tel'tak. He'd been sent back through the hatch, but the others hadn't been lucky. Judging by the noise, the rest of the team had been hit by the same device, but had been thrown against the outer bulkhead.

Trying to catch his breath, Jack pulled himself to his feet. Outside, he could hear the rattle of Carter's MP5 and the shriek of Teal'c's staff weapon. It wasn't long before Daniel's 9mm joined the fray, but they didn't have much chance of defending themselves against an enemy they couldn't see. They needed something else…

Jack found himself looking around the Tel'tak in desperation. Damn it but why the hell didn't these things have weapons? Everything else the Goa'uld built was loaded for bear. It didn't make sense. Unless…

The self-destruct!

Aris Boch had threatened to blow one of these things up and there was no reason why Jack couldn't do the same. Never let it be said he didn't learn from his enemies tactics. The self-destruct was the one system he'd learned how to operate. When the five lights were flashing, he removed one of the three crystals, making sure than no one could come and deactivate it.

Outside, only Teal'c still seemed to be capable of defending himself. The fire from his staff weapon was enough to provide some illumination, but it left Jack none the wiser. He caught a glimpse of shadowy figures but nothing more.

"Hey!" he yelled from the dubious safety of the hatchway. Jack didn't expect an answer so he proceeded regardless.

"Cut it out or I'll blow a hole in the roof so large it'll…"

Suddenly he found himself pulled to the ground, unable to move a muscle. He couldn't even talk, even though he tried. Carter had been right about one thing, the gravity on this planet was screwy.

&&&

"Where's Jack?" was the first thing Daniel said as he came round.

He remembered being hit by something very large and very heavy, but after that he drew a blank. The room they were in was nothing more than a box. It was small, cramped and devoid of anything resembling furniture. There was a bench with a hole in it but that was all. Sam and Teal'c were both at Daniel's side, but there was nowhere Jack could possibly be hiding.

Sam sat back on her heels and shook her head.

"We haven't seen him," she confirmed.

"Both of us woke minutes before you did," Teal'c said.

Daniel felt a moment of hope. It was possible that Jack was still out there somewhere. If he was, he was probably already planning their release. In fact, he could be waiting outside the door right now.

Right… now!

Nothing happened.

Assuming there was a door to this place. The walls appeared to be of seamless construction and Daniel was suddenly worried that they'd sealed in here. But if that was the case then why give them the rudimentary bathroom facilities?

"So you have no idea how long we've been here?" Daniel said.

"None at all," Sam replied.

"I recall O'Neill shouting that he would 'blow a hole in the roof'," Teal'c added.

"Did we have anything capable of doing that?" Daniel asked.

Sam shook her head. So Jack was probably bluffing. A pity. Daniel would have welcomed a good explosion right about now. The walls remained stubbornly intact.

"Daniel, he might be dead," Sam said, quietly.

He closed his eyes, biting back his protest. There was a good chance she was right. As well as their equipment, Daniel's watch had been taken so he had no idea how long they sat there. The only way to measure time seemed to be by his growing need to go to the bathroom, which he was loathed to do while Sam was there. Luckily, he was saved from potential embarrassment when the wall he had been busy staring at faded from view revealing a much larger room.

Daniel scrambled to his feet, ready to face their captors, but there was only one person in the room. The woman smiled at them, and, in the manner of an air hostess said,

"Welcome to Arkkadia. You have successfully passed through quarantine and may now enter the habitation zone."

Warily, the three of them stepped forward. It was certainly a pleasant room; soft furnishings, large windows… a bathroom. There was even a meal laid out on the table.

"Uh… we had a friend," he began.

"Welcome to Arkkadia. You have successfully passed through quarantine and may now enter the habitation zone," the woman repeated.

"Hologram," Daniel said.

"Yes," Teal'c replied.

"Annoying."

"Indeed."

"I hope we can switch her off?" Sam grumbled.

Leaving Sam to figure it out, Daniel made a beeline for the bathroom. He was just settling down, wishing he had one of his books with him, when he heard Sam's slightly panicked voice from the main room.

"The self destruct!"

"What?" he asked as he hurried back, still doing up his pants.

"That's what the Colonel must have been doing, setting the self destruct. Teal'c, what's the countdown?"

"It would depend on what time span O'Neill decided to enter."

"Since our hosts are being generally nice to us at the moment, I would think it hasn't gone off yet," Daniel suggested. "Do you think we should warn them?"

None of them was about to forget they were one man short, but wherever Jack was his situation was hardly going to be helped by a huge explosion… especially if lives were lost.

"They have to be watching us," Sam said.

"Hello!" Daniel called out.

"Welcome to Arkkadia…"

There was a muffled crash. Teal'c had found the hologram projector.

"You need to let us back to the ship we came in!"

"Or at least clear the area of personnel!" Sam added her shouts.

No one answered and, eventually they subsided into silence.

&&&

Jack couldn't move, at least not at first. There was a weight on his chest and for a moment, he thought that Teal'c had accidentally sat on him. Even opening his eyes seemed to be an effort, but he did it anyway. Looking down at his body, Jack couldn't see any signs of restraints.

"He's awake," a cold, dispassionate voice said.

Trying to move his head to check out whoever was talking turned out to be an exercise in futility. Jack tried to speak, but his words were nothing more than strangled grunts. He started to panic. What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn't he move? With a vast effort, he managed to lift his arm about an inch, before it was dragged back down again. It was only then he remembered Carter muttering something about this being a high gravity world.

"It's better if you don't try to move," A second, more feminine speaker added.

Never one to follow orders at the best of times, Jack managed to turn his head the distance required to see his captors. He could just about make out a woman and a man, their hair so pale it was almost white. In contrast, they both had dark eyes and square features. If Jack hadn't heard them speak, he would have been hard pressed to know which was male and which was female. The similarity in their faces was enough to tell him that they had to be related in some way. Twins perhaps? There did not appear to be much difference in their ages.

Seeing Jack's head turn, the woman walked over to him, staring down with a strange warmth in her eyes.

"Let me demonstrate," she smiled, "co-operate and…"

She clicked her fingers and the weight was gone, leaving Jack feeling light headed. Before he could take advantage of the situation, the pressure returned, worse than before. Increasing every second until he swore he heard his ribs crack.

"It's very simple," she said and Jack found himself able to breathe again.

"My name is Jack O'Neill, serial no…"

His words were choked off as the gravity increased again. He tried to breathe his way through it, counting the seconds until he was released.

"We're not interested in who you are, " the man said.

"We haven't seen your kind for a thousand years," the woman continued.

"We thought you'd all died out."

"Which leaves us with the question…"

"Where did you come from?"

Jack had no idea what they meant. Were they talking about Earth or someplace else? And why him? He was as human as they appeared to be. Without speaking, he shook his head and prepared himself for what he knew was coming next.

"You see, they're not so advanced after all," the man said.

"What happened to the rest of my team?" Jack demanded.

"Safe and well. They're not like you. They're not different."

This explanation only served to confuse Jack even further. If Teal'c didn't classify as different then these people needed their heads examined. Then there was Carter with all that wacky Naquadah in her blood…

"Where did you come from?"

"How many of you are there?"

"How did you survive?"

"Why didn't you die?"

"What do you want?"

"Who are you?"

Jack gave up trying to answer. They couldn't or wouldn't understand the fact that he didn't understand the questions. Eventually the stress on his body became too much and he passed out. At least that was what he assumed happened because he woke up and most of the pressure was gone, as were his questioners.

"Hello?" he said to the tall red-haired woman who had taken their place. She was attractive in a hard sort of way, but seemed to be immune to the O'Neill charm. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge that he had spoken until he sat up and swung his body around to face her. His limbs still felt heavy.

"Where are my friends?" he demanded.

"Safe, for the moment."

"They'll find me. They won't give up."

"You believe that?"

"Yeah. They're not dumb. Daniel's a doctor, so is Carter. She's an astrophysicist…"

"Your friends believe you are dead," she said, interrupting his rant.

Jack was glad. He'd given away more information that he'd meant.

"But I'm not," he replied.

Since Jack had no evidence as to what had happened to his team, he wasn't about to let this woman intimidate him.

"It is of no matter," she went on, "your fate has already been decided. I just wanted to see for myself."

"See what?"

"If you were really what they say you are. I must admit, I did not expect you to look so much like us."

"I'm in disguise."

She stared at him.

"It's a joke," he explained.

"I see."

If she was going to kill him, Jack wished she'd just get on with it. He couldn't keep up the witty repartee indefinitely.

"Whatever you are, it's clear you must be removed."

"Are we going for a public execution, or something a little more subtle?"

"You will be taken from this place to Ikkala, there to remain until your mortal body rots."

"Just like that? Haven't you ever heard of a thing called a trial? Innocent until proven guilty?"

"I am judge and jury."

"But not executioner?"

"All life is sacred, Jack O'Neill. We are our own executioners."

He was still wondering what her statement meant when the blonde duo returned to take him away.

&&&

Teal'c was meditating when he suddenly became aware of someone else in the room. He opened his eyes to see a woman standing in front of him. How she had managed to enter without him hearing her, he couldn't imagine. She was almost his height, her long limbs encased in flowing white. In striking contrast, her red hair was cropped close to her head.

Standing, Teal'c inclined his head in greeting.

"Please wake your companions," she said.

Even though her tone was one of command, her voice was warm and pleasing to the ear. Teal'c moved to carry out her order. Once they were all assembled in the main room, she spoke again.

"Firstly let me express my thanks," she said. "If you had not thought to give us a warning the destruction of your craft would have caused great loss of life."

"It's gone?" Major Carter asked.

"We were unable to halt the countdown."

"There was a fourth member of our team," Daniel Jackson told her.

She shook her head.

"He was gravely injured during your apprehension. Our medics are doing all they can for him. Please accept my apologies."

"Can we see him?" Major Carter demanded.

"I will arrange it. Now please, tell me your names."

She had given them another order, a fact that did not go unnoticed, and Major Carter answered for all of them,

"Major Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. How about you?"

"I am Commissioner Verlan," she replied.

"Commissioner of what?"

"Law enforcement. If you are rested, I will take you to see your friend. Then I would be honoured if you would break you fast with me."

Teal'c had the feeling they were still in a prison, albeit an attractive one. And why would the Commissioner of Law Enforcement be interested in them? Shouldn't she have sent a subordinate? He shook himself. There was no reason why the system here should be similar to that of the Tau'ri or the Goa'uld. Teal'c had the feeling that, as visitors from another world, they were a curiosity. Clean clothes had been provided and after completing their ablutions, SG-1 joined Verlan. As had been the case in the quarantine area, one wall of the room faded from view, allowing them to exit.

Major Carter and Daniel Jackson were particularly eager to see this new world… or perhaps it was their concern for O'Neill. Teal'c confessed to sharing their urgency.

Once outside, Teal'c found it difficult to believe that they were actually standing under an artificial sky. The building they had been in was one of many set in a pleasant stretch of parkland. If anything, it was a little too natural, even down to the cooling breeze that blew into their faces.

Verlan didn't appear to be in any hurry as she strolled down the nearest path. They met several people along the route. The natives were dressed in the same utilitarian clothing that had been supplied to SG-1. Despite the bright colours, the garments were uninspiring in design. Verlan was the only person they saw wearing white and Teal'c wondered if it was a sign of status. The natives certainly deferred to her passing so she obviously commanded a certain degree of respect, but Teal'c could sense something else. These people were also afraid of her. He'd seen the same expression in the eyes of those who bowed to Apophis. Verlan was certainly a formidable presence.

&&&

'What would Colonel O'Neill do?' was the question uppermost in Samantha Carter's mind as she followed Verlan into the medical centre. She didn't have any serious misgivings, not yet, but she wondered if she should have. Surely not every alien race they met had a deep, dark secret? The truth was, she was more worried about Colonel O'Neill than she was about conspiracy theories.

The room Verlan led them to was in darkness. There was just enough illumination to make out the pale, still figure, attached to the monitors. Sam felt a lump form in her throat. He looked so small, almost withered amongst the nest of tubes and wires that were keeping him alive. He just didn't seem like Jack.

"What's the prognosis?" Sam asked, struggling to keep her voice even.

"Our physician's believe he will be able to breathe again in three cycles," Verlan replied.

"How long's that?" Daniel demanded.

He was making no effort to disguise his emotions and sometimes Sam envied him that freedom.

"A cycle is the length of time Arkkadia takes to circle Nibiru… our star," Verlan explained. "It is equal to 36 rotations of the planet."

Sam noticed Daniel start at the mention of the name. Were these descendents of the people who came to Earth so long ago?

"Can we talk to him?" Sam asked, drawing attention back to the Colonel.

"Not yet," Verlan said.

"I mean, can he hear us?"

"We do not believe so."

"Uh… I disagree," Daniel objected.

"Excuse me?"

"Our medical science may not as advanced as yours but we have some evidence that people in comas respond to external stimulation at some level."

Verlan's only response was an amused smile.

"Come, there is a meal waiting for us."

From the expression on Daniel's face, Sam knew that he wanted to stay and she couldn't honestly blame him. She didn't trust these people quite enough to put the Colonel's life in their hands.

"Daniel, why don't you stay here," she suggested. "We'll go eat, and then one of use will relieve you."

"There is really no need," Verlan objected.

"Please… it is our way," Daniel said.

It was cunning of him. Many idiosyncrasies could be explained by protesting custom. As long as someone was keeping an eye on the Colonel, Sam didn't really care if her hosts were offended.

"We'll see you later," Sam said as she and Teal'c followed Verlan out of the room.

Once they were back outside, the Commissioner turned to Sam,

"Your ways are very strange," she said.

"Daniel and the Colonel are very close," Sam explained.

"I see."

How close they were, Sam had never been certain. Daniel certainly knew things that Colonel O'Neill never discussed with anyone else. She had always been slightly disappointed that she'd had to find out about O'Neill's wife and son from someone else. Sometimes it was difficult to accept that some parts of the Colonel's life were off limits. Although, now Sam thought about it, there were things she wasn't happy bringing up in everyday conversation. Her mother, for example … or her relationship with Jonas Hanson. They all had far too many secrets, she realised.

The meal they were served was adequate, if rather tasteless. Verlan explained that they had been unable to cultivate the surface of this world and most of their food was force farmed. And a lot of it was genetically modified.

"How about the gravity?" Sam asked the question that had been bugging her since they'd landed.

"It is artificial," Verlan replied. "We maintain gravity equal to that of our homeworld. As you may have guessed, we did not evolve here."

Sam nodded. These people were essentially human and not adapted for a high gravity world.

"Where did you come from?" she asked.

"A planet around the red star, but it became contaminated."

"Why?"

"A war, we were forced to leave and this is the only other world that was habitable. We do not have the technology to travel as you do, amongst the stars."

Which wasn't strictly true, but Sam didn't see any harm in letting Verlan believe that the human race were more advanced than they actually were. She was actually surprised when the woman continued talking. It didn't seem in character for her to volunteer information.

"Out history extends further back," Verlan explained. "In legend we inhabited another system, with a yellow star. Our planet was fertile and the oceans were deep and plentiful."

Verlan sounded as if she were speaking from memory.

"Why did your people leave?" Teal'c asked.

"Our masters offered us the chance to explore a new world."

"Your masters?" Sam questioned.

"They left, shortly after we arrived. We have been alone ever since."

"I'm sorry."

There didn't seem to be anything else to say. When Verlan spoke again, there was steel in her tone,

"They left us to face our doom."

"What do you mean?" Teal'c asked.

But Sam knew.

"This planet is orbiting a brown dwarf," she said. "It's not massive enough to maintain fusion and it's cooling down."

"You are correct, Major Carter," Verlan confirmed, "eventually we will not be able to live here either."

&&&

Daniel didn't know what he was doing here. After the others left, he found himself sitting there, not knowing what to say. He'd never really done this before. His stomach growled and he started to regret not going to eat with the others. Could Jack really hear him?

"Jack?"

The question sounded unusually loud in the confined space. Would he even know that someone was there? Despite knowing that Jack might be able to hear him, Daniel found himself at a loss for words. He wanted to find something inspiring to say, something that would give Jack a reason to fight. Daniel couldn't even start to imagine what the extent of Jack's injuries might be. From what he could see, the man's body appeared to be unmarked but there could have been internal damage, he supposed. Going over his own memories of the attack, Daniel could remember being trapped under an enormous weight, as if the gravity of this massive earth had been concentrated onto his ribcage. The odd thing was, there hadn't really been any noticeable after effects. How and why had Jack been injured? Daniel made up his mind to ask the next person who came in the room. A great plan. However, as the minutes ticked by he started to wonder if anyone was actually taking care of Jack. If he was as ill as Verlan had claimed then why weren't there more medical personnel around. Even if everything was automated, surely someone had to come and check the machines were working properly?

Daniel found himself wanting to reach out and touch Jack, just to prove to himself that the man was still alive. From this distance, it was impossible to tell. Certainly, the machines were bleeping at regular intervals, but Daniel couldn't read the displays. He tried to follow the fall and rise of Jack's chest but any movement was almost imperceptible. Seeing his friend so still was an unnerving experience. It was almost like watching a corpse. Nothing of Jack's spirit seemed to be present. Even if transport was readily available, Daniel realised that they couldn't leave until Jack was well enough to move. The loss of their spaceship was somewhat academic.

The longer he sat there the more awkward he felt. Rising from his seat, Daniel moved closer to Jack. Staring down into the pale face, he was again struck by the lack of visible injury… any injury, old or new. Wary that he might dislodge something vital, Daniel gently pushed the wires away from Jack's face. It took him a few seconds to realise what was wrong.

The scar across Jack's left eyebrow was missing.

It wasn't Jack.

He didn't know how or why, but this was a mere facsimile, an empty shell. As much as he wanted to storm out and demand an explanation, Daniel knew that the action would probably be counterproductive. He had to find out where the 'real' Jack O'Neill had gone. Or if he was still alive? Daniel had to force himself to sit tight until Sam and Teal'c returned.

Being in the room with the body was twice as unnerving now he knew it wasn't Jack. By the time the others returned, he was ready to run out screaming. If its eyes had been open, he probably would have done. He was very relieve when the others came back.

"I hope you've assured yourself that we are giving him the best possible treatment?" Verlan smiled.

"Yes," Daniel replied, unable to trust himself to say anymore.

"We have brought you sustenance," Teal'c said.

Daniel took the bag Teal'c offered but he didn't touch the food inside. He really wasn't hungry anymore.

"If you are ready then perhaps I can show you more of our facilities?" Verlan offered.

"That would be… educational," Daniel replied.

"Should one of us stay with O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

"He'll be okay."

He couldn't bring himself to refer to this thing as Jack.

Once outside, Daniel took several deep breaths as he attempted to calm himself, but he found the artificial atmosphere did little to help. He needed to speak to Sam and Teal'c privately, but realised there would be little chance until they returned to their assigned quarters. He wondered if it would be a good time to feign illness, but quickly decided that was a bad idea. The last place he wanted to end up was back in the medical centre. Daniel found himself glancing back at the building, fighting down a wave of nausea. Great, now he really was going to be sick. Maybe he should have eaten something, because he was certain the building shouldn't be shaking. Barely a second later, a siren started to wail. Daniel turned towards Verlan for an explanation, but she was already running.

"The gravity shield is failing!" she called back.

Judging by the panicked expression on Sam's face, this wasn't the time to be asking questions. People were appearing from all directions, forcing SG-1 to follow Verlan along the path.

"What about the Colonel?" Sam yelled.

"There's no time!" Daniel shouted back, but he was pulled away from her before he could explain the reasons why. The pressure of the crowd was such that Sam couldn't fight against it.

The edge of the dome was in sight and Daniel could see several doors opened wide to deal with the outflow of people. From a distance he thought they were too small to cope but soon realised the crowd were moving through them in a more or less orderly fashion. He was directed through a centre door and found himself in a long broad corridor that was connected to another dome. The ceiling was transparent and he could see both geodesic structures. Standing to one side, Daniel waited for Sam and Teal'c to join him.

"You bastard," Sam hissed.

"Sam wait…," Daniel started to protest, but his voice was drowned out by the terrible sound of the doors slamming shut. As they watched, the dome they had just left crumpled in on itself.

"Was anyone left inside?" Daniel asked Verlan.

"Yes," she replied. "You are not the only ones who have lost a friend today."

Sam remained silent out of deference to their hosts. Daniel knew that she wasn't planning to spare him in any way. The sooner he could explain the better, preferably before she punched him. Her tears were not the only ones, he noticed, but the reaction of the general populace seemed to be one of acceptance. He guessed this happened, if not often, with enough regularity to diminish the impact. It was probably one of the hazards of living on this planet.

"How often does this happen?" he asked.

"More so than we would like," Verlan confirmed. "The resources of this world are finite and there is a limit to how often we can rebuild. If you will excuse me, there are some things I need to attend to."

She indicated the heavyset man standing beside her,

"Vis will show you to the temporary accommodation," she continued.

Vis turned out to be one of those delightful individuals who did little more than grunt in respond to questioning. He reminded Daniel of his high school caretaker. The man only broke his silence once they reached their destination.

"In here," he told them before walking away.

It was a typical dormitory building. The three of them were assigned to one room and the bathroom facilities were shared with those inhabiting the same corridor. There were beds in the room but that was about it.

"It wasn't Jack," Daniel said as soon as the door was shut.

"What?" Sam demanded.

"The scar on his eyebrow was missing. I don't know how or why, but that wasn't him."

Sam took a deep breath and a step backwards.

"Then where is he?"

&&&


	8. Chapter 8

**  
**

When Jack O'Neill woke up for the third time, he body was telling him that it had had enough. He felt like he'd made that parachute jump over the Iran / Iraq border all over again. Adding to his discomfort was the fact that a rat-like little man was standing over him, his nose practically touching Jack's own.

"Tal Silvar," the man introduced himself, sending a wave of fetid breath into Jack's face. "I stopped them taking your stuff."

Since he still had his boots and his pants, Jack supposed he should be grateful.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Luckily, Tal backed off a little, giving Jack space to sit up and view his surroundings. He'd been lying on the floor, he realised and looking around, he was lucky to have space to do that. It wasn't a prison, he decided. The room was too small and there were too many people sitting around. At best, it was a holding area, at worst…

She'd said that all life was held sacred here, so he presumed that this wasn't a prelude to execution. Unless they just shoved criminals in here and waited for them to kill each other. Looking around at his cellmates, Jack was sure that some of them would have no moral objection to murder. They were a mixed bunch. Predominantly male, a few women had all banded together in one corner. There were no familiar faces.

As a newcomer, Jack was naturally the subject of scrutiny, but he made sure he didn't catch anyone's eye. The survival instincts were starting to kick in and the best thing to do was keep himself to himself. Tal, however, seemed to have other ideas and he sat himself down beside Jack,

"So what are you here for?" he asked.

"I don't know," Jack answered.

His statement was answered by soft laughter from one of the other prisoners.

"And Tal, here is innocent too," the other man said.

"It's a medical problem!" Tal protested. "Jorb over there really hit the big time."

Jorb was built along the same lines as Teal'c but Jack sensed something else, a gentleness that was no part of his friend's make up. Tal's words had clearly upset him and despite his determination not to get involved, Jack couldn't stop himself asking,

"What did you do?"

"He destroyed one of the domes," Tal replied, almost proudly.

Jack got the impression that Tal liked the sound of his own voice a little too much.

"I didn't mean… It was a mistake," Jorb said.

"Right," a third person chipped in.

Jack turned his head to see that one of the women had joined them. Her long hair was a dirty blonde and her eyes, although a brilliant blue held no warmth. She crouched down beside Jack,

"A mistake," she sneered. "How many died? Two hundred? Three hundred?"

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, seeing how much she was distressing Jorb. The other man had buried his head in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. The tone of command was clear in Jack's voice and the woman subsided, moving away to rejoin her group. Jack found himself wondering what her problem was. He was also starting to get some idea of the pecking order. Tal seemed to be at the bottom of the ladder. He was probably looking for protection, which was why he'd attached himself to Jack.

"… And when they bring the food around, don't eat the green stuff. It has laxative effects," Tal was saying. "Believe me you don't want to spend too much time in the head…"

But Jack was more interested in Jorb. The big man was staring into space, relieving memories, Jack suspected. He had something clutched in his fist, but Jack couldn't make out what it was.

"What happened?" he asked Jorb.

"Why should you care?" the other man returned.

"I don't, but I came to this planet with some friends. I'd like to know if I should be worrying about them as well as myself."

"They're probably safe."

"Probably?"

"There are roughly two hundred thousand domes on the surface of this planet. The chances of them being in the one that blew ..."

Jack didn't need Carter to work out the math. Even so, he wasn't completely reassured. He didn't think this could be the only prison facility on the planet, which meant that Jorb had to come from some place local. If he was here and Jack was here, then it was likely that the rest of SG-1 were somewhere close. Or at least on this side of the planet.

&&&

They called it the 'Ceremony of the Lost'. It would have seemed rude to refuse the invitation, Sam reasoned, especially as they were also in mourning for a lost colleague.

Despite Daniel's belief, she was finding it difficult to accept that the Colonel was still alive. Verlan hadn't actually ordered them to attend but there was something about her voice that had made Sam think that it would be prudent to obey.

And it looked as if everyone else on the planet had made the effort to join in.

The dome they were in, although vast, was packed with people. The ceremony was taking place somewhere in the centre and huge screens were relaying the picture to the crowds. It reminded Sam of being at an open-air concert. The music, however, was unlike anything she'd ever heard before. No Earth orchestra could have delivered such exquisite harmonies. Poems followed, telling of life and love and happiness. Of memories.

Sam had tears running down her face as someone in the crowd grabbed her hand and held it tight. The lights dimmed and the sound faded to nothing more than a whisper. The congregation stilled as a profound silence fell. Sam couldn't be sure how long they stood there, maybe an hour, maybe more. It didn't seem to matter.

She was reminded of her own childhood and the time she had spent in church, each and every Sunday… right up to the day her mother died. Sam hadn't been back since. With everything she'd seen and done, she still considered herself a spiritual person. Perhaps that was why she was so affected by all this. Sam hadn't dared look at Teal'c or Daniel, just in case she lost it all together.

The ceremony didn't come to a definite end and people just seemed to start drifting away, when they felt their time was over. Sam, Teal'c and Daniel didn't know quite what to do, as they were reliant on Verlan to take them back to their quarters. By the time she appeared, the area was almost empty.

"My apologies," she said.

"Verlan, that was beautiful," Sam told her.

"We find it helps. Our world is finite and it is difficult for us to accept death … any death. Unfortunately, in the course of my duties, it is something I see more of than I would wish to."

Sam felt sympathy for the woman. She had seen too much death, had been forced to kill more times that she might have wished.

"So you have crime here?" Daniel asked.

His enquiry was far from tactful and Sam glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"And your world does not?" Verlan replied.

"On the contrary… what kind of crimes do you deal with?" he pushed.

"Daniel," Sam warned.

"It is of no matter," Verlan said. "I am here to answer your questions."

"So?"

He didn't seem to want to drop the line of questioning but as far as Sam was concerned, this wasn't the time or the place. Daniel didn't seem to understand that they all wanted to find out what had happened to the Colonel. What he hoped to gain by confronting Verlan, she wasn't sure.

"We believe all life is sacred and as such murder is rare," she went on.

"There must be something?" Daniel pushed.

"Theft is our biggest problem and there is some violent crime."

"How about punishment?"

"The most serious crimes are punishable by deportation."

"Where to?" Sam heard herself ask.

She hadn't meant to take part in the conversation, but she was wondering if this might not explain what had happened to Jack.

"There is a world orbiting the other star in the system. It is habitable, but uncomfortable. The prisoners are given seeds, tools… they manage to survive."

So they had some form of space travel, Sam realised, but it probably wasn't fast enough to get them home. Daniel seemed to have exhausted his line of questioning. There was very little else, he could ask without directly accusing Verlan.

"Our world is dying," she went on. "Every time a child is born we celebrate, every time a life is lost we mourn."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Our fertility rates are low and very few of our children are born naturally. It makes some crimes especially heinous. You will be please to know that we have already apprehended the man responsible for yesterday's disaster."

"It was an attack by terrorists?" Teal'c questioned.

"No, the mistake was made during routine maintenance."

"What's going to happen to him?" Sam asked.

"He will be deported."

"For a mistake!" Daniel protested.

"In which your friend died. Perhaps his example will persuade others to take more pride in their work."

Her voice had certain finality in its tone, and Sam didn't want to push the woman any further. This wasn't the time for Daniel to get on his moral high horse.

"If the planet in the other system is habitable, why don't you move the population there?" he asked, seemingly ignoring their host's change of mood. Actually, the same question had occurred to Sam, but the expression on Verlan's face indicated they'd come up against another cultural taboo.

"As I have already explained to your friends, the surface was decimated. It is not capable of sustaining more than a small population. There are currently six billion people living on Arkkadia. We could not hope to build enough craft to transplant the entire population. Our leaders will no be responsible for deciding who lives and who dies."

"So what will you do?" Sam asked.

Verlan appeared to relax, slightly.

"We have already taken steps to ensure the longevity of our race. Tomorrow I will show you."

&&&

It turned out that Tal had been right about the green stuff. He assumed that some nutritional benefit had been gained, despite the fact it seemed to pass straight through him. Jack hoped that breakfast would turn out to be more digestible.

As he made his way to the latrines, Jack wondered if he shouldn't have been grateful to have gotten any food at all. No one expected prison food to be great but he hadn't realised he'd have to fight for it, and not just for his own portion. Tal and Jorb had hung back from the general melee and Jack had found himself giving most of his meal to them. Physically, Tal wasn't equipped to fight off his larger cellmates and Jorb didn't seem to have the heart to get his own. The one sacrifice to formality seemed to be the fact that the women were allowed to go first, after they moved away it was a free for all.

He couldn't help stepping on people as he picked his way across the room. There were a limited number of beds, certainly not enough to sleep all the prisoners. Although, Jack did notice that many of them had more than one occupant. Reaching the latrine, he hesitated before entering. This was a unisex facility but Jack decided it was now or never. He shielded his eyes as he ran for the nearest stall.

A burst of female laughter heralded his dash and when Jack finally emerged, he found himself face to face with the blonde woman who had insulted Jorb.

"Greens?" she asked.

"How did you guess?" he said.

"Don't know why they keep serving that crap."

"Uh… I should… uh…"

Jack indicated back towards the main room, but she moved to block his path.

"How come you never asked me what I was in here for?" she asked.

"Look, lady, I'm not interested, okay?" he snapped.

"Pity."

"Get out of my way."

She appraised him, coolly, in no hurry to move. Her frank stare was making Jack very uncomfortable.

"You really don't know why you're here, do you?" she said.

"No, I don't," he admitted.

"You wouldn't be the first."

"So you…"

"No," she answered with a laugh, "I know what I'm here for and I don't pretend otherwise."

There was something about her honesty Jack liked. Criminal or not, he felt that you'd always knew where you were with this woman. Now he looked at her more closely, he could see she was probably in her mid-forties, her long hair giving the illusion of youth.

"Jack," he introduced himself.

"Rek," she replied in kind, taking the hand he offered.

There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but the alliance he had formed was tenuous at best. Ignorance might well be interpreted as weakness and that was one thing he didn't want to advertise.

"See you around," she said, lightly as she started to leave.

"Hey, you didn't tell me why you're here!" Jack called after her.

Rek turned back to him, disbelief showing plainly on her face.

"Are you from another planet or something?" she laughed.

"Yes," Jack admitted, wondering if he was right to do so.

"You're serious aren't you?"

"Yes I am."

She shook her head in amazement. Surely, these people knew there were other worlds out there. Even if they hadn't made contact with other races, someone must have speculated about life on other planets.

"You know, that almost makes all this worthwhile," Rek said, gesturing towards the walls of their prison.

"I really hope you're going to explain that sentence," Jack muttered, irritation creeping into his tone.

"Take a seat, this could take a while."

The floor of the latrine wasn't exactly the most salubrious location but at this stage, Jack wasn't particularly fussy.

The basic facts about brown dwarfs he already knew and it was no big surprise to find out that this civilization had originated somewhere else, or that they wanted to find a way to leave. Their solution to the eventual death of their star was unique, however.

Rek had been a bioengineer, helping to design systems for the storage and growth of genetic material, clones. As far as Jack could make out, the idea had been to ensure the continuation of the species by sending cloned embryos to another world. Once planetfall had been made, the clones would be grown, becoming full sized humans in a matter of hours. Something that was impossible as far as Earth technology was concerned. The project had been huge, taking the best of the best and Rek had been proud of the work she had done. It was only as she neared the end of her contract that she had started to become suspicious.

"We called it Elish, referring back to the creation myths," she said. "The probe was programmed to find a habitable world outside of this system and recreate our race."

Jack was starting to get a very bad feeling about this.

"It was only later that I found out the means by which we would achieve our objectives."

"And how were they going to do that?" Jack asked.

"By including a virus that would destroy all forms of higher organic life."

"Son of a… I thought all life was sacred?"

"All Arkkadian life. Anyone found to deviate from the genetic norm is either destroyed at birth or they simply disappear."

Was that the reason Jack was here? Because his genes were significantly different from the rest of SG-1? Jack supposed it was plausible. Even Teal'c was more or less human…

"There was a group of us who knew," Rek went on, "we used to have meetings, rage against the government, that kind of thing. Then someone suggested that we sabotage the project."

"And did you?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time and it would have worked too."

"But?"

"Someone betrayed us. A young woman called Verlan… I believe she's Commissioner of Law Enforcement now. Most of us were killed and the probe was launched on schedule. I ran and I kept on running but this is an enclosed system. Three cycles ago, they caught up with me and I've been here ever since."

Suddenly, Jack didn't feel so bad about blowing up the probe. He may have just saved the world.

Again.

"If it helps at all, that probe never reached its target," he said.

"What?"

"It was destroyed on the edge of the solar system. I saw it myself."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"I know there was a reason I liked you," she said eventually.

"So what happens now?" Jack asked. "Are they going to keep us here indefinitely?"

"No such luck. Once they decide that they have enough of us lawbreakers we'll be shipped off to a planet orbiting the red star. There's precious little of anything there, but empty space makes a pretty good prison wall."

Jack couldn't really argue with that.

Crap.

There had to be a way out of here. Once he left the planet there was no way back.

&&&

The building was a museum. Daniel had been in enough of them to recognise the signs; glass cases, guided tours… seemed they were the same all over the galaxy. This one, however, wasn't dedicated to the distant past and as such, Daniel found it difficult to conjure up any enthusiasm. It was more along the lines of a science museum. The one thing he did find interesting was the script displayed on all the signs; a modified version of cuneiform. He would have like to study it further, but Verlan seemed intent on getting them to the main exhibit.

Daniel would have probably felt more tolerant if it weren't for his worry about Jack. The man had been missing for what amounted to three days. If he were able to engineer an escape, he would have done so by now. Even if he'd ended up on the other side of the planet, Jack would have found a way to join his team. Daniel was starting to wonder if Jack wasn't dead after all.

"This is the antimatter drive?" Sam was asking.

"Yes. It can attain almost a quarter of the speed of light," Verlan replied.

"Wow…"

"Yet your ship exceeded light speed?"

"Uh… yes it did, but we were interested in upgrading our sub-light engines."

Nice save, Daniel admitted. Sam had almost given the game away. They had agreed amongst themselves not to reveal how backwards Earth was, or how they managed to access superior technology. No one had said anything about the Stargate. Daniel was starting to think that it was a good thing the Tel'tak had been destroyed. He hated to imagine what these people might have done given access to that technology.

As the two women moved ahead, Teal'c held back.

"What is it?" Daniel asked.

"Surely this task would be better carried out by a scientist," he said.

The same thought had occurred to Daniel. Despite appearances to the contrary, he had the feeling they weren't welcome guests here. He didn't know what they were. Verlan must have some reason for keeping them alive but Daniel couldn't work out what it was.

They moved into another area of the museum, one that was dedicated to biology rather than propulsion design.

"This is our hope," Verlan said as she gestured around the room. "Once our probe finds a new world we can start to rebuild our civilization."

"Your probe?" Sam asked.

"Come."

She led them to the final room, the central exhibit. And it was something all of SG-1 had seen before. Chasing it had nearly killed Sam and Martouf. Daniel had watched as the probe disintegrated under the impact of a Tel'tak.

This wasn't looking so good. They would have some time before they knew the probe was missing. In this case, the speed of light was working in their favour. Sooner or later Verlan would find out and Daniel didn't particularly want to be around when she did.

It seemed the others had recognised it as well because Sam asked,

"Was there only one?" Didn't you have a back-up of any kind?"

"The second probe was sabotaged prior to launch," Verlan replied.

"Sabotaged?" Daniel questioned.

He found it difficult to imagine why anyone would do that. Surely, the whole population would be behind this attempt to save their civilization.

"But you can build another one?" Sam pushed.

"Not without many years of study. The support system for the clones relies on tiny particles of gold. Our sources on this world are almost depleted and an alternative would have to be developed."

"And you're not doing this already?" Teal'c asked.

"We have many people dedicated to the task. The substance is an integral part of many of out processes."

"Perhaps I can help you with that," Sam suggested. "I mean liquid mercury can be transmuted to gold in a particle accelerator or a nuclear reactor. You see there's only one stable isotope and…"

But Verlan's eyes narrowed in the face of Sam's nervous babble, seemingly suspicious of her offer of assistance.

"Surely this is not your area of expertise."

"Excuse me?" Sam said.

"You are an astrophysicist."

"Yes but…"

Then Sam hesitated.

"I never told you that," she went on.

"Teal'c mentioned it," Verlan said, although she appeared flustered.

"I did not," Teal'c attested.

"And I didn't either. Which means, by process of elimination that you must have spoken to Jack," Daniel said, trying to control his anger.

"Where is O'Neill?"

"We know he's not dead!" Sam added.

Daniel had the feeling he knew how this was going to end. Even as Sam spoke, several dark suited men entered the room. Unfortunately, there was only one way out but if it came to a fight. Verlan certainly seemed more relaxed now the security forces were here.

"Your friend has been tried and found guilty of crimes against the Arkkadian people," she said.

"What crimes?" Daniel demanded.

Jack had arrived at the same time as they had. Since they'd all been rendered unconscious minutes afterwards, it was difficult to see how he'd managed to commit any crime. Unless Verlan had found out about the destruction of the probe?

"Look, we were all there when the probe was destroyed," he argued and then realised he'd said completely the wrong thing.

Verlan's face went white and Daniel thought he saw her clutch the display for a second, seeking some kind of support.

"Get them out of here!" she hissed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Teal'c tense, ready to fight should Sam give the word. Almost unconsciously, the three of them shifted into a defensive formation.

"We can explain," Sam said in one last attempt at conciliation… just as one of the security guards threw the first punch. She dropped like a stone and Daniel saw red. He'd wanted to hit something for days and he jumped into the fray, despite knowing that it was a fight they could never win. Verlan must have called for extra security because suddenly the room was swarming with guards.

Teal'c was the next one to go down, overwhelmed by about ten other men. However, Daniel's elation at being the last man standing was short lived. Someone hit him across the back of the head and he slumped forwards into his opponent's arms.

&&&

Teal'c was, in fact, the only one of the three not to lose consciousness. He was, however immobilised as they were carried off to a holding cell. Once they were left alone he was able to ascertain the extent of his friends' injuries. Daniel Jackson had sustained the most serious damage. There was blood matting the hair on the back of his head, where a blunt object had struck him. Major Carter's face was bruised and Teal'c could see she was developing what the humans referred to as a black eye. His own body was injured and he had to kelnorim in order to maintain his own effectiveness.

He was deep in meditation when the raised voices disturbed him. Teal'c was in two minds whether to ignore them or not. However, his symbiote had managed to heal most of his injuries and it was almost time for him to rouse himself. He opened his eyes to see Major Carter pacing backwards and forwards at the front of their cell.

"It's another one of their gravity shields," she ranted.

"It looks like a wall," Daniel Jackson argued.

Teal'c had rarely seen Major Carter this frustrated. She slammed her hand against the barrier although what she was hoping to demonstrate, he wasn't sure.

"Did you see that?" she asked,

"What?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"The distortion? I can push my hand a millimetre below the surface."

"Can we walk through it?"

"Not unless your skeleton is made of adamantium."

"Batman?"

"Wolverine."

Major Carter turned back to the wall, but it was clear there was little she could do about their situation.

"Are you well, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked his friend.

"Headache," the other man admitted.

"Why do you think they're keeping us here?" Major Carter demanded.

Jackson winced at the sound of Major Carter's voice, and Teal'c guessed his headache was actually a lot worse than he was letting on. Major Carter seemed to be unusually agitated. He had never known her to be so bothered by being in a confined space.

"The Colonel could be somewhere close by," she went on.

If he were, then they wouldn't be able to get to him, which made Major Carter's perambulations useless … and understandable.

"Damn it! We should have been more careful. We shouldn't have said anything!"

"By we you mean me," Daniel Jackson accused her.

"I didn't say that!"

"You didn't have to!"

"If we were free we might have been able to help him."

"Enough!" Teal'c bellowed.

He was rarely required to assert his authority but Teal'c knew he couldn't let their petty bickering continue. They were using their concern for O'Neill to ignore the seriousness of their own situation. Despite the time Teal'c had spent in kelnorim, no food or water had been delivered. It seemed they were being denied basic commodities and he suspected it was another reason for his friends' bad temper.

"Which planet do you think we'll end up on?" Daniel wondered aloud.

"From what the instruments picked up as we flew in, none of them looked particularly hospitable," Major Carter replied.

Teal'c remembered seeing a rocky world, with a thin oxygen atmosphere, a little water. A space worthy vessel would be the only way on or off.

"It's not like it will be forever," Major Carter said.

"What do you mean?" Teal'c asked.

"The SGC is going to wonder what's happened to us. Eventually they'll send a ship."

The hope was a faint one, and Teal'c suspected Major Carter had spoken to keep her own spirits up. Daniel Jackson opened his mouth to argue but Teal'c glared at him. If their chance came, they would have to act together.

&&&


	9. Chapter 9

**  
**

Jack snapped awake when the muttering started. He'd been dozing since his conversation with Rek, never allowing himself to sleep for more than a few minutes. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the gritty feeling. Jorb was sitting on his right, whispering to himself, the object Jack noticed before held between his fingers. It was a ring, somewhat larger than one designed to fit on a finger, there was a narrow chain dangling from it and Jack guessed Jorb usually wore it about his neck. Jack bent forward to take a closer look. He outside of the metal was intricately carved. Almost like something Jack had seen before.

"Can I see that?" he asked.

But Jorb took no notice of him and kept up his mantra of prayers.

"You won't get a word out of him until breakfast," Tal said, sitting down on Jack's other side.

"What's he doing?" Jack asked.

"Praying."

"To what?"

"The ring. It's all a bit crazy if you want my opinion."

Jack didn't, particularly, but Tal was the only person who seemed willing to talk.

"Why?" he asked.

"The planet we're getting shipped off to we call it Irkalla. There's no way out… unless you believe in the ring. It's supposed to be a gateway to another world. A way of getting out of hell, if you believe in that kind of thing."

"And you don't?"

"It's a prison planet."

"Right."

A prison planet. There wouldn't be any easy way out. There wouldn't be a Stargate. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but damn it if that wasn't what Jorb's icon reminded him of.

"And if you're wondering, he won't let you touch it," Tal went on.

"Excuse me?"

"What… you think he'd still have it if I could get close enough? Those things are supposedly handed down by the Ancient Masters. They're worth… well… enough to get me out of here."

Masters? Ancients? Where had Jack heard that term before? Oh yeah … The knowledge that had been downloaded into his head, Daniel had thought it had come from the Stargate builders. Were they the same race who inhabited this system? Somehow, he didn't think so. At least, not any more, but it seemed legends still existed. Jack wasn't about to get too excited. If this planet had once been close to Earth then Jorb could be praying to Earth's Stargate. His beliefs might not have anything to do with this Irkalla. Jack found himself in an unusual position. Usually it was Carter and Daniel who put all this stuff together.

He made a note to talk to Jorb as soon as the man had completed his morning devotions.

Overnight, it seemed like the room had suddenly gotten more crowded. Jack couldn't get away from the feeling that they were about to be shipped out… and soon. When breakfast finally arrived, it was even more difficult to get a share. There was no preferential treatment of the women this time. Everyone surged forward at once and Jack found himself crushed between Rek and a man roughly the size of a small tank. A swift elbow and he managed to fight his way to the front. There was a disturbance at the back of the crowd. A high pitched voice exclaimed in pain, followed by a lower pitched rumble of the man who must have been defending her.

Trying to ignore what was happening behind him, Jack grabbed a bowl and filled it with the porridge like slop. He turned and handed it to Rek before going back to get his own portion only to find that three people had taken his place.

"Hey!" he shouted, pushing the blonde one out of the way.

She fell, and the crowd surged forward. Instinctively, Jack bent down to help her.

"Carter?" he gasped.

There was a bruise disfiguring her face, but there was no doubt it was her.

"Sir?"

Her expression was equally amazed. Helping her up, Jack dragged her backwards and out of the crush of prisoners.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his fingers gently probing the bruise on her face.

"It's nothing," she said.

"Daniel? Teal'c?"

"They're here too."

Jack looked up just a two figures detached themselves from the crowd. He couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face. Perhaps they would have been more use on the outside but somehow it felt right that they were all together again. It was a whole lot easier to be in prison with people you trusted. For a start, Jack would be able to get a little sleep.

"We thought you were dead," Carter said.

"I didn't," Daniel added.

"It is good to see you, O'Neill," Teal'c nodded.

"Let's go eat," Jack grinned.

They retreated to a corner of the room. Jack would have liked to be some place where they wouldn't be overheard but there were just too many people. Rek caught his eye as they moved past her but Jack couldn't fathom the meaning of the expression on her face.

&&&

"What happened?" the Colonel asked as he applied a cold, wet cloth to Sam's face.

The makeshift compress had once been his jacket pocket. They had little to spare but she had to admit the cool water did offer some relief and Daniel had managed to wash some of the blood out of his hair. Naturally, Teal'c didn't have a mark on him. Sam was aching for a shower, but it seemed the prisoners weren't afforded that particular luxury except in strict rotation. She would just have to wait her turn.

"We had a slight disagreement with Verlan's guards," she said.

"They wanted to arrest us, and we didn't want them to," Daniel added.

Sam had decided against mentioning Daniel's little slip to the Colonel. He didn't really need to know why they had fallen foul of the authorities.

"Unfortunately, they turned out to be most persuasive," Teal'c added

The Colonel looked tired, Sam realised. It had been days since they'd been separated and she wondered if he'd managed to get any sleep at all. She gently took the cloth from him and held it to her own face.

"You should get some sleep, sir," she told him.

For a second he looked like he was about to protest, but he nodded, and lay down at her side. He flung an arm across his face to block out the light, and within a matter of minutes, he was snoring softly.

Looking round at her fellow prisoners, Sam wondered how much longer they were going to be kept here. The only reason that the Colonel was able to lie flat was that people tended to give Teal'c a wide berth. The room was hot, stuffy and smelled of the mingled sweat of nearly a hundred people. At that moment, she was glad of the relatively thin garments she was wearing, but she wondered if she'd be as comfortable once they reached their destination. It would be too much to expect a temperate climate.

The Colonel only managed to sleep for an hour before a squad of guards appeared to move the prisoners. In a way, she supposed they should count themselves lucky that their stay wasn't destined to be a long one. However, she soon revised her opinion. They had a novel method of controlling their prisoners and Sam found herself in the grip of a gravity field like nothing she had ever experienced before. Occasionally, on some planets, she would feel a little heavy, but nothing like this. The guards signalled for them to move, but Sam didn't think she could. Around her, people were starting to shuffle forward.

"Come on," the Colonel ordered.

"I'm trying," she grimaced.

To her surprise, Sam found that she was able to put one foot in front of the other and follow the Colonel. She had never considered herself physically weak, and there were plenty of people who were also having trouble keeping up. Even Teal'c had a sheen of sweat on his face. In front of her, someone tripped and Sam tried her best not to follow them down. Her efforts were in vain, however. She couldn't stop herself falling and she landed on top of the prone body. Putting out her hands eased some of the impact but something went crunch and Sam looked down to see her clothes were covered in blood. She pushed on her hands to try to get up again but found that her left arm wouldn't support her weight. Sam gazed at it stupidly for a moment. It didn't seem to be moving quite right.

While she was puzzling over her arm, something on the ground caught her attention. It was a silver ring attached to a silver chain. No one seemed to have missed it so Sam used her good hand to pick the trinket up. Then, with a strength she didn't realised she possessed, Sam managed to get back on her feet and stagger after the others.

There were several who didn't make it. The authorities must have counted on that, because the living facilities on the ship were in no way large enough to house all those who had been in the holding area. They were all strapped into chairs in preparation for launch. Sam braced herself, but the take-off wasn't any more uncomfortable than the excessive gravity had been. It was certainly no worse that pulling out of a simulated bombing run in an F-16 at eight plus Gs.

Once they were in orbit, the prisoners were released and allowed to move into what was to be their living area. The room was furnished with bunk, tables and chairs. It was almost comfortable. Gravity was back to 'normal' but Sam still felt like she was in its thrall. She tried to forget some of the things she had seen…

… A man with his chest caved in where Sam had fallen on him.

… One of the guards shooting a woman in the head because she couldn't get up.

… And she couldn't work out what was wrong with her arm. It didn't seem to be broken but..

What she really wanted to do was find a quiet place where she could be alone, but solitude was a luxury she was to be denied. She didn't even get the chance to join her friends. The guards were moving rapidly through the prisoners, segregating those who were injured. Sam tried to let her arm hang normally rather than cradling it against her chest but there was no hiding the blood. One of them grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her out into the corridor. She found herself stumbling after him, fighting to keep her balance.

Sam was taken to a sterile room that appeared to be part of the ships medical facilities. She breathed a small sigh of relief, as she was directed to sit on one of the chairs. If the prisoners received medical attention then it boded well for their treatment for the rest of the voyage. There were several of them in the room, all with injuries of various degrees of severity. Although she did notice that they'd all gotten here under their own steam and she wondered what had happened to those who'd been unable to walk.

One by one, they were taken through a door at the far side of the room and, when it was Sam's turn, she wasn't surprised to find herself in an examination room. The medic indicated that she should sit herself on the bed. He didn't speak as he examined her arm and was none too gentle. But that wasn't the end of it. Pushing on her shoulders, he made her lie back. She supposed he was checking to make certain that she didn't have any other injuries but the top to toe exam felt like a violation. The hands on her body were less than clinical and although he didn't touch bare skin, Sam was still shaking all over by the time he'd finished.

&&&

"Where's Sam?" Daniel asked.

"Carter!" Jack shouted.

In the absence of an immediate reply, the three of them separated and started looking through the prisoners for a tell tale flash of blonde hair. Crowded though the conditions were, it soon became obvious that she wasn't there. Daniel had no idea what had happened to her.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Jack demanded.

"Back on the planet," Daniel had to admit.

She had been right behind him when they'd left, but he couldn't recall seeing her since.

"I believe she was here when the ship launched," Teal'c added.

"You believe?" Jack snapped.

Teal'c nodded but he didn't seem convinced. Looking around, Daniel could see several other blondes. He could have been mistaken.

"Someone must have seen her," he said.

"Check again," Jack ordered.

Daniel had the feeling that there was a certain amount of surprise at his subsequent enquiries. The best he could achieve was a shrug and the comment that some hadn't made it. No one seemed to care that some of the people they'd shared their prison with weren't here. Daniel guessed that in this kind of situation, you formed alliances not friendships. Everyone was on edge, keeping an eye on the ever-present guards. One man did admit that he'd seen several injured prisoners taken away, but he couldn't say if Sam was one of them.

Jack wasn't pleased when Daniel passed the information on. He was blaming himself for not keeping the whole team together, but it was difficult to see how he could have done anything different.

As he looked around the room, Daniel tried to take in the details of the room. Bunks took half of it up, the other by tables and chairs. Daniel counted the number of bunks, and realised there wasn't enough for one each. No doubt, there was an expectation for some of the prisoners to double up. It seemed like one woman had the idea that herself and Jack would make perfect bedmates. He was sequestered in one corner of the room, talking quietly to a woman with long blonde hair.

"Looks like Jack's made a friend," Daniel muttered to Teal'c.

"Indeed."

Daniel really hoped that Jack was asking the woman whether she'd seen Sam. A third person joined the group and Jack spoke to him for a few moments before bringing them all over.

"Daniel, Teal'c, this is Rek and Nez," he said indicating the woman and the man.

"Pleased to meet you," Daniel replied without enthusiasm. Teal'c didn't even nod. Seemed he trusted these people even less than Daniel did.

"Nez used to be a prison guard," Jack went on.

Nez was an unpleasant looking man, somewhere in his late forties. The kind of person you probably wouldn't notice in a crowd… unless you happened to accidentally stood on his foot.

"I saw one of them take you friend," Nez said.

"And?" Daniel asked.

"It depends who's on duty."

"What do you mean?" Teal'c questioned, his voice taking on an ominous tone.

"Both of the docs are creeps, but if it's Tar she'll be okay."

"Define okay?" Daniel said, but one look at Jack's face gave him his answer.

"One of you needs to keep her close by," Nez went one. "We… the guards don't want any trouble. If she's with someone who looks dangerous, they'll leave her alone."

Daniel wanted to ask how Nez knew this but quickly realised it might fall into the category of too much information.

&&&

Sam felt like everyone was staring at her as she edged back into the room, even though she knew she wasn't the first one to have come back. Her arm was now bandaged and it certainly felt more comfortable even if Sam did not. She looked around for her friends hoping to hide herself amongst them. The Colonel was the first to notice her, indicating that Daniel and Teal'c should stay put as he came.

"Carter?" he questioned.

She remembered what the Colonel had said about showing any signs of weakness.

"It could have been worse," Sam told him. "I'm okay."

The Colonel nodded his understanding. Seeing the bandage, he took her hand and ran his fingers up her forearm.

"Where did the blood come from?" he demanded, noticing the stain on her shirt.

"It's not mine," she reassured him, grimacing as she looked down. She still wanted a shower, but would settle for a fresh shirt… or anything that didn't stick to her skin.

Somehow, Sam didn't think that a change of clothes would be easy to find, but she'd reckoned without the Colonel.

"Here," he said, shrugging out of his jacket and handing it to her.

"Thank you."

Using the Colonel as a shield, Sam managed to slip out of her bloody shirt and into his jacket. With her left arm barely functional, he had to help her zip it up.

"Just don't get anything on your pants," he warned.

"I'll try not to, sir."

He led her over to the others and Sam repeated her,

"I'm okay," before the others could speak. She thought for a moment that Daniel was going to hug her, but he restrained himself.

At that moment, the lights dimmed and there was a scramble for the bunks. The Colonel, Sam noted, kept close by and made sure they ended up sitting on the same bed. Sam probably would have shot back up again if the guards hadn't appeared.

"Trust me," the Colonel whispered.

"No talking!" the nearest guard ordered, his nightstick rapping the Colonel across the shins.

A sharp exhale was the only sign the Colonel gave that the blow had hurt. It seemed they didn't have a choice about going to sleep. They both lay down, shuffling a little to try to fit both bodies on the narrow bunk with the minimum of actual contact. After that, neither of them dared move.

&&&

This was going to take some getting used to, Jack realised as he listened to Carter's breathing even out. He doubted he'd get to sleep so easily. Stupid, when you thought about it. This wasn't the first time they'd gotten up close and personal on a mission and if it were choice between Carter, Teal'c or Daniel, he'd choose Carter every time. He just felt more awkward than he expected to. Was it something to do with Laira, Jack wondered. Whatever, it was certainly weird to be seeping this close to Carter in a bed. There was certainly nothing romantic about their situation.

In his wakeful mood, Jack found himself running over his conversation with Rek. She figured it would take almost two weeks to reach their destination. The drive on the prison ship was old and not nearly a sophisticated as the one designed for the probe. Jack was toying with the idea that this ship could be flown to Earth. In the morning, he would have to remember to ask Carter how long it would take. He didn't expect to like the answer.

It was going to be a long night. Shifting carefully onto his side, Jack looked over at the next bunk. For a second, Teal'c's eyes met his own, before pointedly turning his back. Jack found himself wondering if his friend disapproved of the sleeping arrangements.

Despite thinking that sleep would be impossible, Jack found himself jerking awake when the lights were turned on. Beside him, Carter gave a yelp. His sudden movement had jarred her injured left arm.

"Sorry," he apologised.

"It's okay, sir," she replied, cradling her injured arm.

"Maybe tonight one of us should try sleeping with Daniel?"

"He snores."

"True."

Breakfast was nothing more than gruel, the only benefit being that they didn't have to fight for it. A few days on this kind of diet and they'd all start feeling the effects, Jack realised. No doubt, it was an attempt to weaken the prisoners and keep them docile. His stomach turned at the thought of eating the thin porridge, but he did so, hoping to encourage his team to do the same. Teal'c would never think of complaining, Carter wrinkled her nose but followed suit and Daniel had already finished his… he seemed to like it. Weird.

"What's that?" Daniel asked as he ran his finger around the inside of the bowl.

His gaze was fixed on Carter, whose fingers appeared to be playing with something bright and shiny.

"I don't know," she replied, "I found it."

Jack recognised the trinket as she handed it over to Daniel. He hadn't seen Jorb since they'd come aboard the ship. Craning his neck, he attempted to find the big man amongst the crowd.

"Jack, you know what this looks like," Daniel interrupted his search.

"I know," he replied.

"The detail is incredible. You can actually see the symbols."

"The guy it belongs to is some kind of religious freak. They believe it's a gateway to get them out of hell… which just happens to be the planet we're heading for, by the way."

"There's a Stargate?"

The hope in Daniel's voice was palpable but Jack had to shake his head.

"Who knows?"

He admitted that many legends had their basis on fact, but even if there were a Stargate on Irkalla, they'd still have to find it. Searching an entire planet could take as long as flying this ship back to Earth.

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Jack suggested.

"I think I might. Which one is he?"

Looking around again, Jack finally spotted Jorb. He was sitting across the other side of the room.

"The one built like the back of a barn," he said.

&&&

Daniel had noticed that, overnight, the atmosphere in the room had changed. People were congregating into small groups, watching each other warily. Jorb, however was alone. He was still sat on one of the bunks having ignored the food that was on offer. Daniel sat down next to him, handing him the talisman.

"I've been told this is yours," he said.

The man grabbed the trinket as if it was a lifeline, pressing his lips to it.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Where did you get it?" Daniel asked.

"It was my father's," Jorb said.

There was a certain reticence to his tone. Whatever his belief system might be, Daniel guessed it wasn't a very popular. He found himself wondering what the best approach might be. Asking straight out would probably just be met with a less than co-operative reply.

"The gateway to heaven," he said.

It was a complete guess, but if Jorb believed the Stargate would lead him out of hell then heaven was a fair assumption. The deduction was a good one. Jorb's face lit up as he nodded enthusiastically.

"I've heard of it," Daniel went on, "my grandfather believed."

Which wasn't exactly a lie.

"And you?" Jorb breathed.

"I believe it will lead us to another world… assuming we can find it."

"But the words are there in the scriptures."

"It's been a while… remind me."

Jorb closed his eyes and, clutching the disc in his hands, he started to recite.

"Where the water flows up to the mountain, down to the underground sea. The new land waits around a bend in the road, before the singing tree."

Daniel found himself wincing at the bad poetry and reminded himself that listening to this might well give them a clue to the whereabouts of the Stargate. It was difficult to make out the exact words. Jorb was speaking quietly, as if he was scared of being overheard.

"Seven gates stand before the final pool of light. Each one must be defeated, each one to prove the fight. Only the righteous man may pass…"

The recital then degenerated into how to prove oneself righteous. As far as Daniel was concerned, what he had heard was next to useless. Mountains, seas and rivers could well be plentiful on the planet they were heading towards. Without an actual text to study, there was little else he could glean from Jorb's words. He thanked the man for his time and went back to join the others.

"Anything?" Jack asked.

"Not really," Daniel shook his head.

"But you think it's there?"

He shrugged, unwilling to commit himself.

"Probably the only way to know for sure would be to find it from orbit," Sam mused.

Daniel expected Jack to ridicule the idea but he was strangely silent. Surely, he wasn't thinking that they could somehow get control of the ship? It would be insane to try. For a start the guards were all armed and even if they did manage to break out of this room, they had no idea of the ship's layout. Daniel would rather take his chances on the planet.

"You're not serious?" he hissed.

"What?" Jack asked, seemingly in all innocence.

"You'll get us all killed."

"No, I won't."

But Daniel knew how Jack's mind worked. He wouldn't sacrifice his team if it was a job he could accomplish by himself.

"It's suicide and you know it," Daniel said.

"O'Neill will not be on his own," Teal'c announced.

"I'll be with him too," Sam added.

"Shut up… all of you," Jack snarled. "Nothing's been decided yet and if I order you to sit tight, you will not interfere. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Sam replied but she was the only one who did.

&&&

Rek Novar did not intend to spend the rest of her days on a prison planet. She had been running too long and too hard to give up easily. There had been no way out of the prison on Arkkadia but now it seemed as if a few more options had opened up. Stealing this ship wasn't as crazy an idea as it sounded. Certainly, if her fellow prisoners had been nothing but petty criminals, Rek might have thought differently but the fact she had hooked up with Jack O'Neill had changed her mind. He was a military man and she knew the type well. Every grunt Verlan had sent after her had a similar bearing, but there was something different about Jack. He was a leader. Men and women would follow him, to their deaths if necessary and he was the one who could swing any fight in their favour.

Unfortunately, Rek wasn't quite sure what to make of the rest of his 'team'. The woman with the injured arm was clearly very important to O'Neill otherwise he wouldn't have assigned himself as her protector, although Rek did wonder if Carter actually needed it. Without her injury, she looked as if she could hold her own against most of the men here, but the guards were vicious and they had weapons. Two very good reasons to have someone watching out for you.

Daniel Jackson was something of a mystery as was his function within the group. She had the feeling that O'Neill valued his opinion more than he let on. The two men seemed to be polar opposites and Rek found herself questioning the foundation of the friendship between them. It had to be based on something pretty important. Had Jackson saved O'Neill's life?

Finally, there was Teal'c, a man that Rek couldn't read at all. She could see that his physical presence alone would be more useful than Jackson's but apart from that … He was different was about the only conclusion she could draw. It worried Rek that she couldn't glean any more information about him.

Over the cycles since she had been involved in the destruction of the probe, she had prided herself on her ability to mark out people as friend or foe. It had been a matter of self-preservation … and an attempt to make amends for her previous mistake. Rek had been the one to invite Verlan into their group and, ultimately, the betrayal had been her fault. Now, the memories just fired Rek's determination to succeed. She'd love to see Verlan's face when she found out the prison ship had never reached its destination. Now, thanks to O'Neill and his friends, they also had somewhere else to go.

At first, Rek had trouble believing that there was another world close by. During her work with the Elish program, no one had seemed to know how long it would take the probe to find another world. The fact there was a habitable planet within reach was another reason that she thought her plan was workable. If they could just get there …

Sitting at a table with O'Neill and Nez, Rek thought they actually might.

"What about supplies?" O'Neill asked.

"There should be enough to last several years," Nez replied. "We don't just dump the prisoners on Irkalla and let them starve to death."

"All life is sacred… yeah… right."

"This ship doubles as a supply run."

Nez had been another good find. Rek still didn't know exactly why he was here and frankly, she didn't particularly want to know. His inside knowledge was going to be invaluable.

"We're 1.5 light years from Earth and the ship's capable of 0.25 speed of light… that's 6 years."

"We'll need an inventory," Rek decided.

She wasn't sure how long a year was but from the expression on O'Neill's face, she could tell it was a long time to be in space. Before they even started, they needed to know if they could survive for the entire period.

"Any ideas as to how we get that?" O'Neill asked.

"Ship's computers… if we can find a way to get access," Nez suggested.

"For that we need to get someone out of here," Rek said.

"There's a crawl space between the inner and outer hull of the ship. Access points are hidden but there's one in every section."

"Beats the ventilation ducts," O'Neill muttered.

"The ventilation system isn't strong enough to support an adult human."

"It's a cliché … never mind. So who gets to go?"

"It needs to be someone small."

"Tal Silvar," Rek said. "He was arrested for breaking into the finance computers and lifting a billion. If anyone can get around the security system, he can."

"You trust him?" O'Neill asked.

She shrugged. It was a question she wasn't prepared to answer. They were going to have to take a few risks.

"Daniel's good with computers, he can go with him," O'Neill said.

"Do you trust him?" Rek asked, throwing his previous question back at him.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

&&&

O'Neill only came back to join them just before the lights were dimmed. He had spent most of the day deep in discussion with Rek and the man called Nez, ignoring his friends. For Teal'c the day had passed far too slowly. He had fulfilled his kelnorim requirement during the night and did not have the comfort of meditation to get him through the seemingly endless day. As much as it pained him to admit it, Teal'c had been bored.

The prisoners had been left to find their own entertainment. Most of them chose to spend the day lounging on their bunks, or talking in quiet voices. Teal'c had found himself wondering how long it would take for the fights to start breaking out. His own friends had been close to a violent disagreement earlier that morning. Now O'Neill was back amongst them, Teal'c could see that Daniel Jackson and Major Carter had not entirely forgiven their leader.

Teal'c was disappointed that another rift had appeared between his team mates. He accepted that, in this case, O'Neill was correct in is desire to take control of the ship and wanted to render aid where he could. What Teal'c could not acknowledge was his friend's apparent reluctance to accept help. He had thought such disagreements were behind them.

However, O'Neill seemed to sense the hostile atmosphere as he tried to seat himself on the miniscule amount of space that Major Carter had allowed him.

"This isn't what it looks like," he said in a low whisper.

"What do you mean, O'Neill?" Teal'c replied in the same low tone.

"I can't risk getting you involved until I know if I can trust these people."

"We are your friends. We are already involved."

"You don't get it. If we get caught we will be punished."

"None of us fear death."

"They won't kill us, the Arkkadain 'religion' won't allow it, and there are far worse things than death, my friend."

Teal'c nodded. There had been those amongst his own Jaffa who had enjoyed torturing their victims. The prisoners that had survived had been damaged in ways that Teal'c preferred not to recall. He had discouraged the practise where he was able but it was difficult when your 'god' felt no need to punish those responsible.

"I can find us a way home, Jack," Daniel Jackson said, joining in the conversation. "I did it on Abydos and I can do it here."

"Daniel, I know you can," O'Neill replied, "But what about the rest of them?"

"We take them with us."

"While we search an entire planet? You start talking about a gate out of here and they'll think you're nuts. You've seen how they shun Jorb. They are going to do this with or without me and I think they've got a whole lot better chance if I'm with them. Carter's got it, if we get control of the ship we can find the Stargate. Give them proof and maybe they'll follow. "

"And if I'm wrong?" Major Carter asked.

Teal'c had thought she'd already been asleep. She shifted around to face hem, propping herself up on her good arm.

"Hasn't happened yet," O'Neill said, with a trace of a smile.

"Well I hope she is right," Daniel said.

"So do I, Daniel, so do I."

&&&


	10. Chapter 10

**  
**

Daniel had been surprised when Jack took him to one side the following morning.

"I need you to do something for me…"

After all his fine sounding words, he'd needed help after all. Daniel had been a little annoyed at his presumption, but he'd also found a certain amount of satisfaction in the fact that this was something neither Teal'c nor Sam could do. If he'd ever wanted evidence that Jack trusted him, then this was it. He could have easily gone himself … if it weren't for the fact that the ship's computer and an alien language were involved.

Which was how Daniel had found himself in his current position.

He was wedged in the conduit between the inner and outer hull of the craft, inching his way forwards. Tal was behind him, so there was no way back. He had never been one for claustrophobia, but this was something different. A few inches of metal was all that separated himself and Tal from the vacuum. This crawl space had a twofold function. Firstly, it provided a channel for the control cables and secondly it added extra protection against any stray debris the ship might meet. It was a design feature the TelTak's could use, Daniel thought with a certain amount of irony.

According to Nez's intell, they still had a fair way to go. The same thought must have occurred to Tal. His breathing was unnaturally loud. Even though Daniel had no real problem with enclosed spaces, he realised the same couldn't be said for his companion.

"Easy," Daniel told him.

Tal whimpered and Daniel tried to move faster but it was almost impossible given the restricted space. It probably would have been better for Tal to go first, but Jack hadn't wanted it that way.

"Gotta go back," Tal was muttering to himself. "Can't stay here."

"It's not much further," Daniel lied.

"Can't breath."

"Hold on."

"Can't breath… let me out of here!"

He started banging on the internal wall. Daniel didn't know exactly what was between them and the interior of the ship but he couldn't risk anyone hearing them. There was a hatch close by and Daniel found himself fumbling to get it open. At that moment, he didn't really care where they ended up. He just wanted to stop Tal hurting himself. Kicking the hatch open, he found himself in an empty room. The bunks lining the walls and the unpleasant odour of unwashed socks hinted to Daniel that it was probably part of the crew quarters.

Tal had followed him out and was currently on his hands and knees, hyperventilating.

"Sorry," he panted.

"It's okay," Daniel replied, absently. "I think we've found what we were looking for.

The computer terminal sitting in the corner of the room had diverted his attention. He picked off a pair of discarded underwear and sat down in front of it. The on switch wasn't immediately obvious but Tal seemed to know what he was looking for. His panic attack forgotten, he motioned Daniel to one side.

"These things are activated by palm scanners," he said as he busied himself levering off one of the side panels. Pulling out two fibre optic cables, he touched the ends together, before putting his hand on the scanner.

Something started beeping, very loudly and Daniel was all for making a speedy getaway, but Tal signalled for him to wait.

"I'm converting the rejection into an acceptance signal," he explained.

Sure enough, the noise stopped and the computer screen flashed into life.

"Now what was it you wanted to know?" Tal grinned.

"Supplies, weapons… schematics," Daniel began.

The data was flowing across the screen in a script Daniel realised he had no hope of reading without time to study it. He recognised it as a form of cuneiform but that was about as far as he got.

"Is there any way to get a print out?" he asked.

With a flourish, Tal touched the screen in several places. A few moments later, sheets of a plastic material appeared, each of them covered with the strange script. Daniel gathered them up and stuffed them into his pocket.

"Come on," he said.

"You sure? I can control the ship from here," Tal grinned.

"I'm sure."

They didn't want to control the ship. Not yet. Jack's orders had been very specific and Daniel was going to make certain that they were carried out. They couldn't risk discovery.

"Enough, Tal," he ordered.

For a moment, Daniel thought he would have to haul him back by brute force, but Tal shut down the terminal and, with a certain amount of reluctance, crawled back through the hatch. Daniel took one more look around, making sure the room was exactly how they'd found it, before following Tal. He seemed a whole lot happier on the journey back. Daniel was the one left behind as he hauled himself through the tight space.

When he rapped on the correct panel, Daniel held his breath, hoping that Jack would manage to get them out. Now he was the one who was barely under control. What if they were stuck here? What if something hit the ship? What if…

A pair of hands grabbed hold of him and Daniel found himself pulled free and into Jack's arms. There were a group of people blocking the access panel from view. Acting as if he had been there all along, Jack led him through the wall of prisoners and over to one of the tables.

"All right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Daniel replied, pulling his arm free of Jack.

He pulled out the data they had retrieved.

"I'll need some time to translate this," he said.

&&&

Even after twenty years, Commander Melanby still suspected that he'd been recruited into the Space Corps under false pretences. As a boy, he'd loved holodramas. He'd been an avid follower of Captain Storm and the intrepid crew of the Spaceship Venture. It was only after he'd received his first assignment that he realised the terrible truth.

There weren't any new and interesting alien life forms.

Or a girl in every port waiting to be taught this Arkkadian thing called kissing.

No thrilling space battles.

Or victories snatched from the jaws of death.

Exoplanets had been discovered but there weren't any in range of the current space drives.

Space, he'd realised, was dull. Mind numbingly dull. Melanby had been doing this run for longer than he liked to admit and the only thing it had going for it was the fact that it was more interesting than mineral surveys of the asteroid belt or shuttling people around Arkkadia. At least out here there was always the chance that a riot might break the monotony.

Melanby was hoping that one would break out in the next five minutes, anything to save him from having to deal with Subcommander Yllac's unflagging enthusiasm. The man seemed to delight in bringing every detail of the ship's day-to-day operation to Melanby's attention. Even though Yllac had only had the post for three runs, the Commander was seriously thinking of getting him transferred. Yllac's only redeeming quality was that his companionship was slightly preferable to that of the security forces.

"And there was an unauthorized computer access in crew quarters 15QC at 15110," Yllac finished.

"Very good Mr. Yllac," Melanby said.

The younger man stood there, an expectant expression on his face.

"Was there something else?" Melanby asked.

"Don't you want me to investigate, sir?"

"For a grunt who's trying to scam an extra ration? I don't think that's necessary."

"But sir?"

"What?"

"What if it's one of the prisoners?"

This man's enthusiasm would be the death of him, Melanby realised. Eagerness, seemed to exude from ever pore. Melanby would have loved to ignore the younger man's recommendation, but there was a chance, however small, that Yllac was right. How it might have happened, Melanby could imagine, but he'd learnt not to underestimate the ingenuity of desperate man. The chances were the prisoners were planning something, even if it wasn't the conspiracy Yllac suspected.

"Go through the prisoner manifest," he suggested, "see if there's anyone capable of…"

But before he'd even finished the sentence, Yllac was waving a printout in front of his face.

"Already done, sir."

Melanby snatched the print out from him, annoyed at having to deal with this right away. He'd expected at least half a day's respite.

"Why have you highlighted these four?" he asked, scanning the list.

"Unknown's, sir."

"Unknowns?"

"Yes."

"Then cross them off. Let's concentrate on the ones we do know about… like Nez for example."

"He's an ex-guard, he could be trading information."

"Nez is a grunt. Trust me, he doesn't have the imagination… okay bring 'em in. We'll see if there's anything to this theory of yours."

&&&

Daniel hadn't been guilty of reading after 'lights out' since he had finally escaped the foster homes and moved into his own place. The light was dim but with his body curled around the papers he could just about make out the symbols. The guards were moving slowly through the room, picking prisoners at random and hustling them out of the room. Male … female… they didn't seem to be fussy. Daniel wondered if he shouldn't be sharing with Teal'c. Any actual couples, they appeared to be leaving alone. He wondered why those taken didn't fight … or why no one else seemed to care. There were still several faces missing when the lights went up the following morning.

"Jorb and Tal are gone," Jack whispered when the four of them sat down together to eat breakfast.

"You think they suspect something?" Teal'c asked.

"I don't see how," Daniel replied. "We didn't set off any alarms."

"That you know about," Sam warned.

The four of them ate in silence. Daniel could see the tense lines of Jack face and knew that his friend was worried. He couldn't have expected it all to go so wrong so quickly. Of course, they had no actual evidence that this was as a result of his and Tal's activities. Nez and Rek were still present, so perhaps it was nothing to worry about. Daniel could see how the tactic could work. Divide and conquer was the key. As and when the others were returned it was doubtful if anyone would trust them … especially if they were unharmed.

After they had finished eating, Rek started to make her way over, but Jack stopped her with a small shake of the head. Daniel guessed that, for now, the conspiracy would be put on hold.

"Any luck with the translation?" Jack asked.

Or maybe not.

"There's been some drift in the language," Daniel replied.

"But nothing you can't handle?"

Daniel was starting to understand how Sam felt sometimes. Jack never seemed to understand the demands he was making. Either he had no comprehension of the effort that was required to solve a problem or his own mind worked so fast that he expected everyone else to think as rapidly as he could. Now that was a scary thought. Perhaps it was a poor analogy, but now he thought about it, Daniel had never seen Jack put any effort into coming to a tactical decision. Even the delay in doing his paperwork was due to basic laziness and nothing to do with Jack's intellectual capacity.

"Daniel?" Jack questioned.

"What? Right? Uh … yeah… I didn't read the whole thing but it looks like a supply manifest."

"Cool… and?"

"And it looks like there are enough concentrated food tablets to last for a voyage of a year or so."

"What about water?"

"The same. There are plenty of seeds, tools … the kind of stuff to restock a colony."

Jack sat back in his chair, raising his eyes to the ceiling. He didn't need Sam to tell him that they couldn't make it back to Earth.

"Carter, you know what kind of drive this ship has?" he asked.

"Judging by what I saw on the probe, it's based on antimatter fusion pulse," she replied.

"So can you soup it up a bit? Get us home any faster?"

"Without getting a good look at it … I can't say, sir," she shrugged.

"So that's our next target."

"Yes sir."

Sam didn't appear too thrilled at the prospect and Daniel couldn't blame her. He knew that crawling through the ship's infrastructure was no cause for enthusiasm.

"When?" she asked.

"We'll give it a couple of days," Jack decided.

"What about our allies, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, nodding towards Rek and Nez.

"Let's keep this one to ourselves," Jack said. "If it comes to a fight, we'll need their help, but until then…"

He let his words fade away. The implication was clear. In contrast to his earlier stance it seemed that right here and now, SG-1 were the only people Jack was prepared to trust. And Daniel couldn't blame him.

&&&

Tal Silvar had always been a coward at heart. This, if he was honest with himself, was a bit of a problem if you were a professional thief. He'd always known it would be a matter of time before he was apprehended. Anyone with any sense would have stopped years ago and retired on the proceeds… which led to another aspect of his personality. Tal was also an obsessive compulsive.

He just couldn't help himself.

This wasn't the first time he'd been imprisoned. There were lesser punishments available on Arkkadia, but Tal had just about run through them all. He was here because his 'condition' appeared to be incurable. His theft had reached the scale where he was

considered a danger to society… or make that a danger to the central government. Sometimes he wondered what might have happened if he'd actually managed to steal that money.

When he'd been sentenced to life on Irkalla , Tal had made a pact with himself not to get involved in any crazy schemes, but when the opportunity had arisen, he'd been unable to help himself. The compulsion to break into the ships computer system had been too strong … even though there had been nothing worth stealing. He regretted it the moment they came for him in the night. He wasn't the only one, but Tal just knew it had something to do with his little excursion. As he was bundled out of the room, he noticed that they hadn't grabbed the man who'd been with him. What had been his name…? Jackson? That was it. Tal couldn't help pondering on the unfairness of it all as he was taken to solitary confinement and left there.

The longer Tal was left alone, the more anxious he became. By the time the door to his cell slid open, he would have told them anything. But they didn't want information.

The man introduced himself as Sub-Commander Yllac.

&&&

The missing inmates were returned after a few hours. Crowding back into their living quarters the way they had left, quietly and without protest. Some of them had clearly been mistreated and it was all Jack could do to stop himself taking his anger out on the nearest guard. They'd made no effort to disguise their handiwork. Tal looked particularly bad. The man's face was bruised and swollen, Jack suspected his nose had been broken. Blood was flowing freely but there was no sign that he'd been given any medical treatment.

Finding a cloth and some water, Jack took both over to the stricken man.

"Tip your head forward," he advised.

Tal did as suggested, the blood dripping onto the floor.

"What happened?" Jack asked when the flow had lessened.

"They knew," Tal said. "Don't know how."

He coughed and Jack helped him to lie back on the bunk. Jack felt personally responsible for what had happened to this man… to all of them. This would never have happened if he hadn't lent his support to Nez and Rek.

"It was one of us," Tal went on.

"What?"

"One of the other prisoners."

"How do you know?"

Tal just shook his head. Standing up, Jack found himself looking around the room. There was no evidence other than Tal's say so, but he couldn't help feeling suspicious. He hadn't noticed anyone getting special treatment. It reinforced his opinion that no one here could be trusted.

"Get some rest," he told Tal.

But the other man was struggling upright. Before Jack could do anything, Tal hurled himself at Jorb. The other man might have been larger but he was knocked to the ground by Tal's momentum and didn't seem capable of fighting back.

"Hey!" Jack yelled as he pulled Tal away.

"Look at him!" Tal spat. "There's not a mark on him."

He was right; Jorb was the only one who had been returned unmarked. Jorb was on his knees, the silver disc clutched between his fingers.

"You don't know that for certain," Jack said, but Tal had raised a doubt in his mind and he wondered how safe they were to continue.

&&&

Colonel O'Neill tapped Sam on the shoulder, nodding as she turned to face him.

It was time.

The lights dimmed and, under the cover of the general movement in the room, she rolled from the bunk and slid under the one opposite. The hatch beneath it was already open and Sam pulled herself through, closely followed by Daniel.

They paused for a moment, their breathing unnaturally loud in the enclosed space. Sam was surprised that he couldn't hear her heart beating. It was certainly loud enough that she was having trouble listening for sounds of disturbance in the room beyond. Once satisfied that their flight had gone unnoticed, they started to make their way through the crawl space.

It had been two days since Daniel's last journey and Sam was definitely feeling the effects of poor diet and lack of activity. They were growing weaker by the day. How the Colonel was coping, Sam wasn't certain. He'd been living under these conditions for longer than the rest of them. Having slept with him for the past few nights, she could vouch for the fact that he'd shed a few pounds. Of course, she imagined that some of that was also due to his sojourn on Edora but something had certainly been sticking into her.

Sam imagined that Daniel was glad he had her watching his back this time. They had a lot further to go and she wasn't likely to have a panic attack. At some level, she suspected, he was actually enjoying this. Like herself, he probably relished the chance to do something… anything… to change their current situation.

Sam's musings were interrupted by the sudden clang of something hitting the outer hull of the ship and a vibration that seemed to run the length of the conduit. They were both shaken by the impact. Sam letting out an involuntary yell when she accidentally tried to brace herself using her injured arm.

"You okay?" she asked as soon as the tremors had subsided.

"Yeah," Daniel gasped. "What hit us?"

"Could have been space dust. We might be passing through the system's Oort Cloud."

Daniel nodded, but Sam suspected he didn't really know what she was talking about.

Or it could have been weapons fire, but Sam decided not to voice that thought.There were certainly several more impacts as they continued onwards, but none as violent as the first. Sam was starting to think this might be easy, until something much larger than dust grazed the outer hull.

She wondered if she had blacked out for a moment. There was certainly no immediate memory of the ship being hit. One moment she was crawling along and the next Daniel was slapping her about the face.

"We've got to get out of here," he gasped, but it was difficult to hear him over the hiss of escaping air.

The hull had been breached. Not in the immediate vicinity, but close enough that they had to make all speed towards the next hatch. It took Sam several seconds to notice her face was wet. Had she been crying, she wondered. She touched her face. The liquid was tacky, solidifying on her fingertips.

"They're sealing the breach!" she realised.

It was everywhere. Sam could feel her clothes stiffening, making it difficult to move, never mind at any speed. She was further hampered by the fact that she had to keep stopping to wipe the stuff off her face to prevent her eyelids from sticking together. Judging by the volume of liquid that was being pumped into the cavity, the breach had to be close by. They rounded a corner of the bulkhead only to find themselves faced with a blank wall. The damaged section had been sealed off from the rest of the ship.

"Back to the hatch," she ordered, indicating the nearest escape route.

By this time, the sealing compound was starting to pool at their feet and Sam felt like she was wading through treacle. In front of her, Daniel had reached the hatch and was struggling to get it open. The pressure differential that now existed between the two areas of the ship was making it almost impossible to move on his own. Sam added her weight to his and with a mighty heave, they managed to force the hatch and tumble into the room beyond.

It looked like some kind of control room. There were two men sitting at a monitoring station, but their reactions were dulled by surprise. Sam took out the first whilst Daniel dealt with the second. The chances of this remaining a covert operation had faded.

"Take that guy's clothes," Sam said.

Her own garments were almost solid with polymer, so much so that they were almost impossible to remove. Sam was struggling out of her jacket when she heard a yell of pain from Daniel. She whirled around, expecting the worst, only to find him standing there with his pants down.

"Daniel?" she questioned.

"I just gave myself a leg wax," he winced.

&&&

There was something going down, Jack could feel it with every fibre of his being. The lights had been out for several hours but he had the feeling that no one in the room was actually asleep. He hoped to God it had nothing to do with Carter and Daniel.

Despite the presence of the guards, a whisper seemed to be running through the room. Jack glanced over at Teal'c to see that his friend had not settled into kelnorim. A nod of the head was all it took to convince Jack that Teal'c had also sensed that something was amiss. And, whatever it was, the guards didn't seem inclined to do anything about it. There were four of them in the room, two by the door and two lounging by the entrance to the bathroom. When Jorb rose to use the bathroom, not one of them glanced in his direction. Not one of them moved when several of the prisoners followed him inside.

Jack knew damn well what was going to happen to Jorb and he didn't even hesitate before getting to his feet. Whatever Jorb may or may not have done, there was no way that Jack was about to let him be beaten up. At least not without proof that he'd sold them out. The guards, however, seemed to have a different idea and both of them moved to block Jack's path. For a race that had a no killing policy, they certainly didn't object to other forms of violence. Jack suspected that, as long as no one dealt a killing blow, they would let this pass … and if Jorb was wounded they'd let him bleed to death.

"I gotta pee," Jack said, clutching at himself and doing a little dance.

Neither of the guards looked particularly concerned. Jack tried to move forward again, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. The weapon was designed to stun, but, from Nez's first hand account, the effects were unpleasant. A sustained blast could knock you out for days and there was a significant chance of brain damage. Jack was about to turn away… until he heard a scream from the bathroom. Figuring that his brain wasn't worth that much anyway Jack executed a neat pivot turn driving his elbow into the face of one of the guards, and kicking the second one in the groin.

All hell broke loose.

As Jack strode into the bathroom, he caught a glimpse of Teal'c heading towards the other guards. Satisfied that an alarm wasn't going to be raised immediately Jack decided to take care of Jorb's attackers. He wasn't surprised to see that Tal was one of them. Jorb was on his knees, held firmly by two of the burlier prisoners, whilst Tal prepared to kick him in the face. Jack felt sick. They didn't even have the guts to take Jorb on in a fair fight.

"Let him go," Jack said, not even bothering to raise his voice.

"Or?" Tal asked.

"I'll kill you."

Tal laughed and turned away. Big mistake. It only took Jack ten seconds to wrestle Tal to the floor, with his hands around the man's throat. Jack made sure that his face betrayed no emotion and he started to squeeze.

"Stop!" Tal gasped.

Jack ignored him. The other two men seemed frozen in the face of someone who was blatantly flouting their most deeply held belief.

"I don't come from your miserable little planet," Jack whispered, "I don't care if you live or die."

Then he released Tal and helped Jorb to his feet.

"Remember that," Jack said over his shoulder as he and Jorb left the room.

The fight with the other guards had been brief but effective. The four of them were draped, in a neat pile over one of the bunks. Jack suspected that Teal'c was responsible. Most of the other prisoners seemed confused by the turn of events and were milling around in an aimless fashion. Leaving Teal'c to look after Jorb, Jack started looking for Rek and Nez.

Foremost in Jack's mind was Daniel and Carter, blissfully unaware of what had happened. He wasn't sure whether to wait for them to return or take immediate advantage of the opportunity.

"Nez, what's standard operating procedure for this situation?"

"Riot? The Commander will order the prisoners quarters flooded with anaesthetic gas," Nez replied in answer to Jack's question. "We'll sleep all the way to Irkalla"

"So we need to get out of here," Rek added.

She had appropriated one of the discarded weapons, Jack noticed, he also had the feeling that she had no idea how to use it. Despite her tough words, Rek probably wasn't much of a fighter. Looking around, Jack realised that these people needed him. He'd gotten them into this situation and it was down to him to get them out.

"Let's do it," he ordered … just a something hit the ship.

Jack was one of the few who managed to stay on his feet, by dint of clutching hold of Teal'c.

"What the hell was that?" he yelled as the tremors subsided.

"It happens sometimes," Nez replied. "We're passing into the outer reaches of the Irkalla system."

"Anything to worry about?"

"Unless we're hit by something larger than an ice crystal."

"Good enough."

The crew were going to have their hands full controlling the ship, so maybe the time was right. If he could just get a message through to Carter and Daniel…

"Let's get that door open," he ordered. "Teal'c, Nez … you're with me, you to Jorb. Rek, keep an eye on things here."

Jack wasn't about to leave Jorb here for Tal and his band of thugs.

The continued impacts made their progress difficult. It was hard to be a force to be reckoned with when you couldn't stay on your feet.

"Crap!" Jack swore as a particularly violent collision sent him crashing into the wall of the corridor. Once he had managed to extract himself from the tangle of arms and legs, he realised that Nez was crouching down next to a nearby hatch.

"What?" he demanded.

"I think that last one holed us," Nez said, indicating the white substance that was welling out of the crack between the hatch and the surrounding wall. It looked like the stuff Jack had used on his bath.

"Sealing compound?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nez agreed. "It sets solid."

"How about if someone was in there?"

The other man just shook his head.

&&&


	11. Chapter 11

**  
**

Sub-commander Yllac deliberately silenced the alarms before he hurried to Melanby's office. He hadn't expected to hear from his informant quite so soon. In fact, he was surprised that the man had spoken at all. Yllac might have been new to the post but he'd been on enough runs to realise the prisoners had a strange concept of honour. Despite the fact they were all convicted criminals, they tended to band together. He might have thought it was something to do with the fact they had to live the rest of their lives away from civilization, if he didn't know that a high percentage of the prisoners didn't make it past their first year on Irkalla. Something Yllac felt a little uncomfortable about.

He sometimes thought that Commander Melanby wasn't really interested in what was happening outside the four walls of his office. However, his opinion changed as soon as he heard Melanby's yell,

"What on Irkalla is happening here, Yllac?"

"The prisoners have broken containment, Commander," Yllac replied.

"I thought the plan was you had a man in there to stop this happening."

"There was a disturbance … they moved too quickly."

"And I have criminals wandering the halls of my ship!"

"We're on alert, they won't get far."

"They shouldn't have gotten out."

"Yes Commander."

"Anesthetize those that are left and round the others up in corridor fourteen B."

"Commander, that's the armoury."

"I know and if Nez is with them that's the first place they're going to go."

"If they're armed…"

"A few half starved prisoners aren't going to be a match for trained men."

As Commander Melanby strode away, Yllac wondered if he should have told him about those who came from another world.

&&&

It was too quiet. Even though it was technically the middle of the night, Teal'c knew they should have met someone by now but the corridors were empty. There were security monitors lining the walls and, although they were doing their best to avoid the devices, Teal'c knew it was unlikely that they had completely escaped detection. He wished he could have spoken with O'Neill in private, but the opportunity had not arisen. Teal'c couldn't help feeling that this was not the time to carry out the offensive against their captors.

The ship was still shaking at irregular intervals, delaying their progress. In normal circumstances Teal'c knew that the longer they took to reach the armoury, the less chance they had to avoid capture … but this was anything but normal. Yet, he wondered if there was any point in going back. To do so would prove they were afraid, that they were willing to hide amongst the weak. Teal'c realised they were now committed to this path, so he followed O'Neill, as he had done so many times before.

"Are you sure this is right?" O'Neill questioned as Nez stopped before an armoured door.

"Yeah…," but the man didn't seem to be certain. He was looking about himself as if he were searching for something.

"What?"

"Nothing, this is it."

"So any ideas how we open the door?"

Nez bent towards it, seemingly intent on the locking mechanism but Teal'c found his attention diverted elsewhere. He heard something. The scrape of a shoe on the deck? Fabric brushing against the wall of the corridor? Slowly, carefully, he started to move back the way they had come. Even though he was armed, Teal'c did not have much faith in the weapon he carried. He'd had no chance to test its strengths or weaknesses. When he rounded a bend in the corridor, Teal'c realised that whatever his weapon, it would be no match for the force that faced him. As O'Neill might say… this had been a set up from the start.

"O'Neill! We are betrayed!" Teal'c shouted.

"Crap!" O'Neill swore, as the alarms blared out.

Surrender wasn't an option. They had no choice but to run.

&&&

"Where do you think we are?" Daniel asked as he tried to pick sealant out of his hair.

"I have no idea," Sam replied.

They certainly weren't in the engine room. At least Daniel assumed they weren't. The lack of anything vaguely resembling engines kind of gave it away. Sam was busy at the nearest computer terminal, trying to make sense of the readouts. They'd used the pal print of one of the unconscious men to activate the system.

"Could be some kind of environmental control," she speculated.

Daniel found himself leaning over her shoulder, trying to make sense of the text on the screen.

"I'd settle for a map," she grinned up at him.

Taking her place, Daniel did his best to find his way around the system. He could pick out a few words here and there, but this language had evolved since it was last spoken on Earth. What he really needed was a couple of weeks and a good library, but since he wasn't likely to get that any time soon, he settled for emergency translation 101. He managed to find a schematic of the ship. There wasn't a handy 'you are here' sign, but he had counted the number of hatches they'd passed.

"We're not far away," he said, tapping the screen.

"Good," she replied.

"Er … Sam?" Daniel began.

"We might as well finish what we started."

He didn't raise and objection, but he had to wonder how they were going to do this. Unless the ship's personnel changed fairly frequently, he couldn't see how they would be mistaken for crew members. Still, they couldn't stay here for the rest of their lives.

Daniel felt exposed as soon as they walked out of the room. There was no one in the corridor outside but he wondered if there wasn't some kind of video surveillance.

"Which way?" Sam hissed when they reached an intersection.

"Left," he whispered back.

There was another crew member walking towards them. Daniel settled for nodding his head in greeting, but the man barely acknowledged them. So far, so good.

"This is it," he said eventually, tapping on a door.

It slid open upon request. Outside the prisoner's quarters, security didn't seem to be an issue. They stepped inside, letting the door shut behind them.

"Wow!" Sam breathed.

She was staring at the structure before them in something reminiscent of awe. Daniel couldn't quite see the attraction. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't that much to look at. They were standing in a small room, empty apart from a computer terminal. The wall in front of them was transparent, and they were looking down a long chamber.

"This has to be a beam core design," Sam said.

"A what?" Daniel asked.

"Direct one to one annihilation of protons and antiprotons."

"You can tell all that just by looking?"

"The annihilation products travel at close to the speed of light so the ship has to be long. If we could get this back to Earth then…"

"Then?"

"Daniel, this is something we could understand. A lot of what we bring back through the Stargate is so far beyond out understanding that we can't hope to reproduce it… we don't have the raw materials, the necessary manufacturing facilities…"

"But we know about antimatter."

"Yeah… Let's take a look at the specs."

Daniel hadn't even touched the computer when the wail of an alarm practically deafened him.

"I didn't touch anything!" he cried.

"Neither did I!" Sam shouted back.

"Then what….?"

"The Colonel?"

"Crap," Daniel muttered, borrowing one of Jack's favourite phrases.

He didn't know if they should stay of try and make their way back. If Jack had run into trouble, then maybe they would be of more use out here. Sam, it seemed, had the same idea.

"Let's see if we can use this thing to find out what's going on," she said.

&&&

Jack knew there was no place to go. Running was probably a stupid idea, but he needed a little time to get his head together, to try to work out what the hell to do next. Was Teal'c right? Had someone squealed? If that was true then the traitor wasn't Jorb. The big man was stumbling along beside them, trying his best to keep up. He was scared out of his mind and Jack wished he'd been able to leave him back with the others. As it was, Jorb didn't slow them down that much. He didn't get the chance. Whoever had designed the trap had made sure any escape routes were covered.

All four men were brought up sharp as the guards shot first. As Jack hit the ground, he hoped he'd still be around to answer questions later. The stun setting was vicious and far worse than a zat blast. Those, Jack had learnt how to shake off fairly quickly, but they didn't tend to make him sick to his stomach. Vomiting on his captors shoes was damn well embarrassing, but he didn't seem to be able to stop himself. At least he had the satisfaction of seeing the man jump back with a disgusted expression on his face.

Jack rolled onto his back.

"I can see right up your nose," he said to the man who stood above him.

Unfortunately, the man had no sense of humour at all and kicked Jack in the ribs.

"Yllac!" someone barked.

"Commander!"

"Get that one into solitary."

"And the rest?"

"Back where they came from."

Rough hands dragged Jack to his feet and started to haul him back along the corridor. He had no control over his arms and legs. The nearest equivalent he could think of was the last time he got very, very drunk… no… make that the time before that. It had been at the wake, after Daniel had died. Once his guests had departed, Jack had finished all of the spare booze … and the morning after he'd felt exactly like this. He'd really, really screwed up, he realised. This revolution had been doomed to failure from the start. Jack knew he should have just kept his head down and not gotten involved.

The condition Jack was in, he didn't have any other option than to go quietly but the men holding him had other ideas. As soon as they were out of sight of their commanding officer, they dropped him. All he could manage was a grunt of protest, as his face was ground into the floor. When he could raise his head, Jack could see the one called Yllac watching.

"Who was it?" Jack gasped. "Who told you?"

His words were rewarded by another kick in the ribs. They weren't going to kill him. Jack kept on telling himself that. There were no questions. They didn't want to know anything. The beating was for pleasure and nothing else.

"Enough," Yllac barked.

Even though the effects of the stun weapon were now fading, they still found it necessary to manhandle Jack. Apart from the guards, he was alone in the corridor.

"Where are my friends?" he demanded.

Questions really weren't the way to talk to these people, he realised as they slammed his body into a nearby wall. Jack had had enough. He no longer cared what they could do to him. If they killed him, they'd find themselves sentenced, which gave him the upper hand. His strength was returning rapidly as he pushed himself away from the wall. They weren't expecting him to fight back, but Jack would have to be seriously injured before he let it impair his performance. A few bruises weren't going to slow him down.

He was on them before they had the chance to bring their weapons to bear. The first man staggered back, blood flowing from a broken nose after Jack had slammed the heel of his hand into the man's face. Jack scooped up the man's discarded weapon and fired four times.

"Night, night," he grinned at the prostrate figures.

Jack didn't know how long he'd have. If he could just catch up with Teal'c… but all these damn corridors looked the same. He realised he'd made a rooky mistake. Because he'd been with Nez, he hadn't logged the turns in his mind and damn it if he wasn't lost.

Reaching a crossroads, he took a corridor at random, cursing when he found himself at a dead end. He couldn't afford to retrace his footsteps.

"Sir!"

Carter's voice. The most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. She was standing there in the corridor behind him, gesturing towards an open door. Jack didn't ask questions as he followed her lead. The room had little in it apart from Daniel and a computer terminal but Jack was very happy to see both.

"We were monitoring the situation," Carter explained.

"Can we control the ship from here?" Jack asked.

"Yes sir."

"Excellent!"

"Jack?" Daniel questioned, "What are you going to do?"

Jack wasn't planning anything dangerous. That idea had been scrapped once their initial foray had gone so disastrously wrong. Having lost the advantage of inside knowledge, he wasn't about to risk the ship.

"I figure we sit tight here and see if we can spot the Stargate from orbit," Jack said. "Then maybe we can talk them into putting us down someplace close by."

"And if it isn't there?" Daniel asked.

"We spend the rest of our lives in a prison colony."

"What about Teal'c?" Cater asked.

Jack winced. He hadn't forgotten, but he really couldn't think of a way to help his friend right now. Teal'c would either be locked in solitary confinement or back with the other prisoners. There was no way to get to him without jeopardizing their current position. Ultimately, rescuing Teal'c would serve no purpose, unless they had a way home. Without that, then they might as well join him. Jack hoped that Teal'c would understand why they couldn't come for him straight away.

"I have no intention of leaving without him," Jack reassured his friends.

It had been Teal'c who had risked being buried alive to rescue him from Edora and Jack wasn't about to forget that … even though he was sure that both Carter and Daniel would have volunteered in a heart beat, it had been Teal'c's voice that had guided him home.

Jack owed his team so much, he realised. Daniel had saved his soul on Abydos, Teal'c, his body on Edora and Carter … well he wasn't quite sure where she fit into the equation. Or, at least her role in his life wasn't something he cared to admit.

&&&

"We're in an enclosed system. He can't have disappeared," Commander Melanby said slowly and carefully, as if he were explaining the situation to a three year old. Yllac, he noted, didn't even have the wit to look ashamed of himself. The man had become more than a minor annoyance and Melanby had decided to have him transferred as soon as they got home. Until Yllac learned to take responsibility for his actions, there was no place for him on this ship. As far as the Commander was concerned, the facts of the matter were clear. Yllac and his goons had stopped to have a little fun with their prisoner, but it had backfired. Now they had an escaped convict loose on the ship instead of safely locked in solitary confinement.

Melanby would have liked to believe that Yllac would always stop short of actually killing a man, but he also knew what a fine line that could be. The 'accidental' death of a prisoner was the reason that Nez was making this trip.

"It's only a matter of time," Yllac argued.

"And what about the other two?" Melanby asked.

"Commander?"

Yllac blanched. He'd quite clearly been hoping that the Commander hadn't noticed.

"I can count," Melanby said. "We're missing two others as well."

"I … uh … assume they're together."

"Why?"

The younger man's spine snapped straight as he stood at attention, and Melanby realised he wasn't going to like this either.

"They're not Arkkadians."

"What do you mean?"

"They came from somewhere else… another world."

Melanby was silent as he tried to assimilate the information.

"And one of them is still in confinement?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Bring him here."

"Commander?"

But Melanby didn't feel inclined to explain. He'd suddenly realised how he could end this, quickly and easily. If the off-worlders didn't make it… well… no one would blame him.

&&&

"Are we there yet?" the Colonel whined.

Sam did her best to ignore him as she fought back a smile. He had a point though. They didn't have much in the way of food and drink in here.

"Initiating scan," she said in response to his unspoken order.

The Colonel came to stand behind her, close enough that Sam could feel his warm breath on her neck. She also realised that he really needed to clean his teeth. Sine her own personal hygiene was also less than salubrious, she didn't feel she had grounds to complain. It seemed like he was looking for something but Sam couldn't think what it might be.

The Stargate?

Form what she could see, they weren't yet close enough to detect such a small structure on the surface of the planet… or scan for the Naquadah. There was little difference between these and the readouts she'd seen during the Tel'tak's fly-by.

"Sir?" she questioned finding his closeness a little distracting.

"Nothing," he said, moving away.

But Sam's curiosity had been piqued as she remembered that he'd seen something on their trip over here. She'd dismissed it at the time.

"What do you see?" she asked.

"Exactly what you do," he replied.

The Colonel's defensive tone suggested that he wasn't entirely telling the truth.

"Jack?" Daniel prompted.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Everyone's been saying that this is a barren world, right?"

"According to these scans it is," Sam confirmed.

"I see that… but I don't."

"Can you be more specific?" Daniel pushed.

"It's like I know there's something else down there. Something more than we're seeing."

"What exactly?"

But Colonel O'Neill just shrugged. Sam turned her attention back to the computer readout. She still couldn't see anything unusual but the Colonel's instincts had proved accurate before. There had to be another way of looking at this, something more than visual wavelengths and atmospheric compositions.

"Daniel?" she asked, "do any of these symbols indicate an infrared scan?"

"The electromagnetic spectrum wasn't covered in cuneiform 101," he replied.

"I want to scan for heat. It's the one thing a sizeable population centre won't be able to disguise."

"Okay… try… this one."

Sam hit the icon on the touch screen and sure enough, the screen displayed a thermal image of the planet.

"It could be indicative of volcanic activity," she ventured indicating the hotspots.

"Is there anything to suggest that in the atmospheric composition?" Daniel asked.

"What?" the Colonel said.

"The sulphur content doesn't look any higher that I'd expect," Sam continued.

"Excuse me?"

"It could be civilization, sir."

"Excellent!"

"That could be made up of convicts," Daniel reminded them.

He was quite correct. They had no idea how long the Arkkadians had been sending their prisoners here. Enough time might have passed for them to have spread beyond their original colonization site.

"Or it might not," the Colonel argued.

Figuring there was nothing further she could glean from the readouts, Sam turned off the display. There was no way she could solve the dispute until they got closer. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Sam couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be stuck on another planet, without immediate hope of rescue. For perhaps the first time, she was starting to appreciate what the Colonel had gone through on Edora.

"I hope Teal'c's okay," she said.

&&&

The gas had reduced the rest of the prisoners to little more than zombies. Teal'c's symbiote, however, offered him a certain degree of protection. It started clearing the poison from his system as soon as it entered his lungs … for all the good it might do.

Separated from O'Neill, he had experienced a moment of indecision and it had been enough to ensure that he ended up back here. He did not know how long he would have to wait, but he knew that O'Neill would be working on a way to free him. Teal'c would not be left behind.

He had just settled to kelnorim when he realised that he wasn't the only one who was still conscious. There was a disturbance in the darkened room. Someone was moving from body to body, pausing for a short time at each. Teal'c would have liked to think it was a medic, checking on the condition of each man and woman, but he knew very well that no such person had entered the room. Biding his time, Teal'c waited until the figure approached. As nimble fingers reached into his pocket, he grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it enough to make the would-be thief shout out in pain.

"Stop!" the man gasped.

It was Tal.

"Traitor!" Teal'c spat.

"I had no choice."

"There is always a choice. You could have chosen to die with honour."

"They said they'd take me home."

"They lied."

Teal'c had carried out several such interviews. He knew only too well that those kind of promises were never kept. This was the man who had betrayed them… and he hadn't even had the courage to admit it. What was worse, he'd allowed another to take the blame. As far as Teal'c was concerned, this man was scum and deserved no mercy.

But before he could take the required action the door to the room slid open. Teal'c looked up to see a squad of guards moving towards him and he dropped Tal. He sensed their disquiet at the face he was still awake, and braced himself for the attack. The stun weapons were unpleasant and he had to grit his teeth against the wave of nausea that threatened to embarrass him. He had seen O'Neill lose the contents of his stomach and Teal'c did not wish to do the same. There was no defence against such a weapon and several of the blasts hit his body. Even his symbiote could offer little protection and Teal'c felt his consciousness flee.

When he awoke he was somewhere else; seated in a chair, his hands and feet were bound. Looking around, Teal'c could see he was on the flight deck of the ship. Behind him, a great expanse of windows looked out upon the stars.

"He's awake," a man's voice said.

Teal'c recognised him. Yllac. The man who had kicked O'Neill.

A second man moved closer. Older. His bearing was one of command and he looked at Teal'c as if he were a laboratory specimen.

"It looks exactly like us," he said.

Teal'c strained against his bonds, trying to find a weakness… any weakness that he could exploit.

"They all do," Yllac added, "If Tal hadn't told us…"

"Commander Melanby," another crewmember interrupted.

"Yes?"

"We've picked up an unauthorised access."

"Where?"

"Drive room."

"Get a team down there ASAP."

Yllac clicked his heels together and left with a grin on his face. Teal'c realised that the man was actually enjoying this.

Straining against his bonds, Teal'c searched for a clear avenue of escape … but perhaps he didn't need one. If he could just find a way to warn his friends …

"Contact me when you're in position," Commander Melanby ordered.

Even though he had no idea how long that would take, Teal'c increased his efforts. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to remain undetected. Sooner than he would have liked, Commander Melanby's gaze returned. The Commander must have known what Teal'c was attempting, but he chose to do nothing about it. If anything, he seemed amused as he watched Teal'c struggle. Complacency would be his downfall.

The cuffs that bound Teal'c's hands were yet another variation on a gravity device. For a man of normal strength, separation would have been impossible but Teal'c's symbiote made him significantly stronger. His strength was legendary even amongst Jaffa. A fact Teal'c often took pride in. Indeed, as he continued to strain, he felt the cuffs start to slip past each other.

"In position," Yllac's voice echoed from a speaker somewhere on the bridge.

"Open a channel to the drive room," Melanby ordered, before raising his voice, "This is Commander Melanby. We are aware of your presence and are willing to take the necessary steps to ensure your capture."

There was silence for a minute, maybe two, before O'Neill's voice replied,

"Yeah? So? The door's locked and those guns of yours aren't powerful enough to punch a hole in toilet tissue."

The term 'toilet tissue' seemed to cause a little confusion, but Melanby continued regardless.

"We have your friend. If you value his life you will surrender immediately"

"Or what? You kill him and you earn yourself a life sentence."

"But he is not Arkkadian… and neither are you."

O'Neill did not reply, and Teal'c realised that his captors had the advantage. He was not about to let his friends sacrifice themselves and the time had come for him to make his move. A distraction might well buy O'Neill valuable time. With a roar, Teal'c pulled the cuffs apart, deactivating them.

The surprise his escape caused was evident in the reactions of the rest of the crew. One screamed, another spilled the drink he was carrying. Teal'c had no clear plan, but the first thing he wanted to do was wipe the smug grin off Melanby's face. This he accomplished in a most satisfactory fashion before the others had time to react. It took six of them to bring him down.

&&&


	12. Chapter 12

**  
**

"Teal'c! Teal'c!" Jack yelled.

The radio link had been left open and he could clearly hear a major scuffle had broken. out. Damn… what the hell was Teal'c doing? Then again, while the crew had their hands full subduing the Jaffa maybe it would give them time to do something.

"Carter, get me a schematic," he snapped.

She responded promptly, a diagram of the ship flashing onto the screen. Jack studied it intently, looking for a way, any way he could get to the bridge and to Teal'c. Any half decent commanding officer would have dispatched a bunch of guys with guns to wait outside the drive room. Three or four they could probably cope with, but Jack suspected there were a whole lot more. The crawl space was now blocked with sealing gel…besides, that would take too long. It was time to get a little more creative.

"On my signal cut the artificial gravity and open the door," Jack ordered, "give me thirty seconds, then switch it back on."

"Yes sir."

"Jack what are you going to do?" Daniel asked.

"Go get Teal'c."

Since space travel had become an integral part of working at the SGC, they had all done some training in zero gee. Jack had never thought he would have to put theory into practice.

Moving to the back wall, he braced himself. Carter and Daniel both took firm holds. Jack nodded and Cater hit the appropriate control. Pushing off from the wall, he seriously hoped he'd gotten the angle right to send him through the now open door. Playing pool with Carter had taught him more about geometry than any high school teacher. Not only did he manage to pass through the door but he also executed a neat rebound off the opposite wall that sent him straight down the corridor. The men standing in the corridor couldn't react fast enough to stop him.

Counting under his breath, Jack knew exactly when the gravity was going to return. His knees protested painfully as he made impact with the floor, but he ignored it and was up and running. He had a good head start and was around the corner before anyone could get a clear shot.

This time Jack knew exactly where he was going. The map of the ship's layout had only been on the screen for a few moments, but it had been enough for Jack to commit the picture to memory. No doubt, both Carter and Daniel would be surprised by how retentive his memory could actually be.

Jack knew what he was doing was dumb. He was unarmed in enemy territory but he was dammed if he was going to leave Teal'c in the hands of these people. Their morals were dubious at best. If they didn't kill him, Jack wouldn't put it past them to beat up on him. Strong though he was, even Teal'c had his limits.

With luck, Daniel and Carter would have the sense to sit tight. Jack really didn't want to worry about them as well. It would be enough to turn his hair completely grey. By now, Commander Melanby would know that Jack was on his way. He was going to have to improvise.

&&&

Yllac hadn't gotten lucky that many times in his career. His assignment to the prison ship was one time; the fact that he found himself floating through the door into the drive room was another. When the door slid shut, he was inside. When the gravity returned, he managed to swing his weapon up to cover the two people crouched by the computer.

The woman might have been attractive, if she hadn't been so dirty. Yllac couldn't even tell what colour her hair was. The man was blinking at him myopically. Neither of them looked particularly dangerous, but Yllac wasn't about to take any chances. He couldn't even imagine how the two of them had gotten in here. They were both wearing technician's uniforms, albeit badly fitting ones. Somewhere on the ship, there were two crewmembers, maybe hurt, maybe dead. The thought made Yllac feel sick.

"Don't move," he breathed.

They looked at each other, both raising their hands in a gesture of supplication. The communicator was on the wall, and Yllac edged towards it. As he turned towards it, he noticed the man make a slight movement, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. When he turned his full attention back in his direction, he stilled again. He didn't look as if he could do him much damage so Yllac moved back to the communicator.

And his luck ran out.

It was the woman who hit him. The woman who pinned him to the ground whilst the man scooped up the gun.

"Stalemate," she grinned.

&&&

Melanby couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Prisoners weren't supposed to be so difficult to control. There was certainly something very different about these four people. The fact they all seemed to care about each other should have given Melanby an advantage but it worried him more than he liked to admit. They were acting together. Something his charges usually weren't capable of doing. Every man for himself was the unwritten rule.

He knew one of them was on his way here. But worse, it seemed, was yet to come.

"Uh … hello… hello… anyone there?"

The man sounded as if he didn't quite know what he was doing.

"This is Melanby," the Commander answered.

"Hi."

Even though they spoke the same language, Melanby did not know what the man was trying to achieve.

"What do you want?" he snapped, trying to cut to the chase.

"Oh… right. You know how you have one of my friends…"

"Yes."

"Well, one of your friends decided to pay us a visit."

"Who?"

"That's the problem, he won't tell us."

"You're bluffing."

"Sam?"

He was talking to someone else. Over the open link, Melanby heard the sound of a heavy blow and a yell. He recognised the man who screamed… it was Yllac. Melanby groaned to himself. This situation was getting out of control. If one more thing went wrong, he was sorely tempted just to space the lot of them. He could explain it as a systems failure… or something.

"Name your terms," Melanby snapped.

There was no way he was going to accede to them, but he needed to give himself a little thinking time.

"We're not a threat to you or your people. All we want to do is go home," the man said.

"And you need my ship," Melanby reasoned.

"No we don't, actually. All we need are your scanners and for you to drop us off where we tell you."

"How is that going to get you home?"

There was a pause and Melanby could hear the man conferring with his companion, but he couldn't make out the words. He glanced over at Teal'c. Strange name. Definitely not Arkkadian. They had managed to wrestle the man back to his seat and the cuffs were now set at a much higher power. There was no way he would escape again. He was staring at them now, but the expression on his face was impossible to read.

"There's a ring," the man continued, "a portal to another world…"

With an angry gesture, Melanby cut off communication. He'd heard such ravings too many times before. In his opinion, the cult of the Ring should have been stamped out years ago. He didn't know why the Arkkadian authorities permitted it to continue. It was time to bring this situation back onto his terms.

"Gas," he ordered, "everywhere but here."

"Commander?" one of the crew members questioned.

"You heard me. This ends now."

He no longer cared what happened to his crew … or to the rest of the prisoners. One dose was enough to knock a man out for days but no one knew what a double dose of gas would do.

&&&

At first, Jack thought the ship had sprung a leak, but the sweet smell that flooded the corridor along with the hissing noise told a different story. A pale green gas was trickling from a row of nozzles located close to the floor. The fact it appeared to be denser than air gave him some time, but it looked as it the commander had decided to flood the entire ship.

Whatever the gas was, it certainly sent his senses reeling. Jack was staggering as he tried to run down the corridor, searching for a way out. He was willing to bet that the bridge would be the only room not affected… but he didn't think he'd make it that far.

Jack started opening doors at random, trying to find somewhere that wasn't flooded with anaesthetic.

But there was nothing.

Nada.

Not even a broom closet.

The urge to lie down in a corner somewhere was almost overwhelming. In addition to the dizziness and the confusion was about of nausea that made Jack glad his stomach was empty. It took him all of ten minutes to realise he'd reached another dead end. There was a door at the end of the corridor but even Jack could see that it wasn't a viable route of escape. It was an airlock… a window looked onto the cold, harsh reality of space. At any other time, Jack would have found the stars fascinating, but he was still fighting against the urge to pass out.

He leaned his head against the wall, hoping the cool metal would sooth his soul.

There had to be some way… some way.

His vision was dimming when he realised that he was leaning on another door. He couldn't translate the sign, but the big red handle was something he could understand. Using what felt like the last of his strength, Jack tugged hard and managed to wrench the door open. The area inside was just about large enough for a man and contained something far more worthwhile… a spacesuit.

Jack's fingers were actually numb as he started to climb into the suit. The design was similar to NASA, but on the rare occasions he had worn one there had always been someone to help. It was a lot more difficult to do this by oneself. Desperation, however, proved to be a good teacher. Within a few minutes, Jack was breathing sweet, clean air.

&&&

Water.

Can erode a mountain … given enough time.

When the prisoner Teal'c had escaped, the shock had caused crewman Olag to spill his morning stimulant onto the flight controls. He cleaned the spill up, thinking that his prompt action had saved the systems from any permanent damage.

But it only took a drop.

One drop of water caused one circuit to fuse.

And another caused a warning light to fail.

The ship was doomed as soon as it tried to make planet fall.

&&&

This was wrong.

He'd spent the last… five days … It was difficult to tell in solitary confinement. He had basic toilet facilities… his meals were shoved through a hatch in the door … and no contact with anyone. Five days of brooding, self-recrimination and worry.

Now the popping in his ears and the sick feeling in his stomach, told Daniel that they were descending far too fast. It reminded him of a flight he'd once taken into Guatemala. The pilot had somehow misjudged their height about the runway and it had felt like the plane had dropped out of the sky. On that occasion the feeling had lasted all of ten seconds… this seemed to go on forever.

The rate of descent was increasing, Daniel realised as the room tilted suddenly and he found himself slammed up against the wall. The ship righted itself again, just as precipitously and he started desperately looking for some way to protect himself. It was a tight fit, but he managed to squeeze himself under the bed. He'd been in enough holes in the ground to know whether he was prone to freak out in an enclosed space. However, he'd never been trapped in a locked room in a crashing spacecraft. The thought he might not be able to get out was causing him more panic than the possibility that the impact would kill him.

Wedged as he was, Daniel could hardly breathe but neither did he move as the ship finally hit something. The shriek of tearing metal was almost deafening and he imagined the craft sliding some distance. When it finally stilled, Daniel immediately realised they weren't on land. He pulled himself out from under the bunk he attempted to stand up. There was a definite pitch and roll as he tried to walk in a straight line towards the door. He'd been hoping that some kind of fail safe mechanism would have resulted in the lock disengaging but even though Daniel shoved as hard as he could, he wasn't able to open the door.

Fighting the urge to give into a fully-fledged panic attack, he pressed his ear to the door, trying to discern if anyone was moving about outside.

"Hello! Anyone there?" he yelled, banging on the surface. His fists made little impact on the thick metal and Daniel doubted that anyone on the other side would hear him. He found himself starting to run calculations in his head.

How much air was in the room?

How long would the ship stay afloat?

How long was he likely to survive if the ship sank?

Unfortunately, when it came to math, he was no Sam Carter and the numbers refused to make sense. Of course, someone would come by and let the prisoners out before the worst happened… wouldn't they?

Panic started to set in and Daniel started banging on the door again, ignoring the pain in his hands. They were severely bruised by the time his prayers were answered.

Daniel would never have cast Jack O'Neill in the role of an angel but at that moment, he might as well have been wearing wings and a halo. He couldn't imagine how or why Jack was there and in all honesty, he didn't care.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah… fine… Sam? Teal?"

"Don't know yet. They must be around here somewhere. You take the left."

They were in a corridor with multiple doors each side. Rows of isolation cells, Daniel guessed. Locating Teal'c was easy. Somehow, he'd managed to rip the bed from the wall and was using it to pound the door into submission. He might have done it too… given enough time.

Sam, however, was in trouble. She looked pretty banged up when they found her. Physically she was too small too have wedged herself under the bed as Daniel had done. They found her sitting against the back wall of her cell, looking pretty dazed, blood dripping from a gash on he forehead.

"What did we hit?" she asked as Jack helped her up.

"A planet," he replied, "come on. Let's get you out of here."

"Jack, what about the rest?" Daniel asked.

"Who?"

"The other prisoners."

Judging by the dark expression on Jack's face, he wasn't exactly overflowing with enthusiasm for their fellow inmates. Daniel could hardly blame him, but he also knew his friend well enough to realise he'd want to give them a fighting chance. But there was also Sam to consider.

"Take Teal'c," Jack ordered. "Get down there, unlock the door then get out ASAP. There's an air lock on this level. We'll meet you there."

From the schematics, Daniel knew that the prisoners were housed two decks below this one.They found a set of stairs to take them down, but Daniel wasn't particularly pleased to see water at the bottom. It was knee deep when they started to splash through it. There was little light on this deck. The main lights had failed during the crash and the emergency illumination bathed everything in a red glow. Daniel felt like he was wading through blood. He hoped it wasn't an omen.

"Show yourself!" Teal'c bellowed suddenly, making Daniel jump. He hadn't heard anyone except themselves down here.

For a moment there was silence before Daniel heard the distinctive sound of someone approaching from the rear.

"Yllac," he muttered when the man got close enough to be recognised. No longer the smart young officer, he looked as if he'd been dragged through the seven circles of hell.

"I won't hurt you," the Sub-commander protested as Teal'c made a move to grab him. He wasn't armed.

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Daniel asked.

"Gone," Yllac said, "as soon as we hit the water."

"Why did you remain?" Teal'c demanded.

"Because enough people have died on this trip."

"Explain."

But the man shrank away, clearly distressed by Teal'c's aggressive stance. Oblivious to the fact he was knee deep in water, Yllac sank to the ground, his head in his hands.

"What happened?" Daniel asked in a softer tone.

This wasn't really the time or the place, but he had to know.

"Some of them just didn't wake up," Yllac sobbed.

Daniel assumed he was talking about the gas that had been used to suppress the riot.

"But we can still save the rest," Daniel reminded him. "That's why you stayed, remember?"

Luckily, Yllac responded and managed to pull himself together. Strange though it may have seemed, Daniel didn't want to leave this young man behind.

The ship was shifting as they walked and the water was getting deeper.

"Here it is," Yllac said.

Daniel couldn't hear anything, a fact he found ominous. Shouldn't someone in there have been trying to get out?

"Open the door," Teal'c ordered, a note of panic entering his voice.

Yllac did as he was requested, and the three of them stepped into the room. Looking around, Daniel could see there were fewer prisoners than he remembered. Dead, blank eyes watched as he walked into the room. None of them reacted to the fact the door was open.

"They're all still drugged," he muttered.

"Commander Melanby kept a low level of the gas in the atmosphere. He said it was to keep them docile," Yllac spat.

Getting the prisoners to move would be more easily said than done. The airlock wasn't close by and Daniel knew they didn't have the time to lead each person out of here. Despite the fact they were supposed to be meeting Jack, he realised they had to find another way.

"Yllac, where were you planning to take these people?" he asked.

"There's an air lock on this level," the other man replied.

"Okay."

&&&

"Jack, we have a problem…" Daniel's voice was loud… too loud.

"Daniel this ship is going down, get back here now!"

"We'll meet you on the shore."

"Right now!"

They were standing at the open air lock and looking across the water Sam could just about make out the shoreline. She blinked, having trouble judging the distance. The rain lashing from the sky was making it difficult. The ship shuddered beneath them, slipping another few feet towards the ocean floor. It was hard to make out what the Colonel was saying over the howl of the wind but it seemed like he was swearing… a lot.

"Now Daniel!" Colonel O'Neill yelled.

But there was no further communication from their friend. Sam knew that the Colonel's first instinct would be to drag their friend back by the scruff of his neck; however Sam didn't think she was in any condition to go looking for Daniel. She'd be lucky to make it out of here.

"Go," she told him.

"And you?"

Sam shook her head. There was no point hiding it from him. She was barely able to walk in a straight line. There was a very good reason why Sam hadn't joined the Navy… she didn't like boats very much. Although the downed ship was the size of an ocean liner, the fact it was sinking meant they would have to make the decision to swim for the shore sooner rather than later.

The choice was taken out of their hands as a sudden lurch sent them both tumbling into the water below. Sam was vaguely aware that the Colonel screamed on the way down, but she though it was due to shock of landing in the cold water. And it was very, very cold. Despite the fact they could see the shoreline, the water was deep.

Struggling to keep her head above water, Sam struck out towards the shore. It was only after she'd gone some distance that she realised the Colonel was lagging some way behind. She paused, treading water until he was able to catch up.

"Are you okay, sir?" she yelled, struggling to make herself heard.

"Caught my leg on something on the way down," he shouted back. "It's fine."

Sam wasn't so sure, but this wasn't the time or place to demand a medical examination. The water was too dark to see if he was losing blood. He started swimming again and all Sam could do was follow. He seemed to be doing a little better, but Sam knew she shouldn't have been able to keep up with him.

As they go closer, Sam could see a row of lights on the cliffs above the beach. It seemed they had crashed close to their destination and she didn't know whether she should be happy about that or not.

She was exhausted when she was finally able to stand and stagger onto the beach. Sam lay there for what felt like an age, feeling a little like a beached whale. The only reason she started moving was the fact that her fingers, outstretched on the rocks, encountered something warm and sticky.

"Sir? Sir?" she demanded, ignoring the pain in her own body.

"I'm fine," he protested.

But he wasn't. Sam knew that he needed medical attention as much as she did and they weren't going to get it by lying here. The Colonel rolled over and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. One leg of his pants was soaked with blood and Sam had serious misgivings about his ability to stand by himself. Despite the pain in her head, Sam knew that she had to be the strong one here and scrambled to her feet.

"Here, sir," she said as she offered her hand.

It was a testament to how crap he must be feeling that he let her help him up.

Etched into the cliff in front of them, Sam could see a narrow path leading up to the top. There were lights up there and hopefully, food, shelter and medical supplies. Sam was dizzy by the time she'd made the climb… and not just from her head injury. She'd practically dragged Colonel O'Neill up the incline and her chest was heaving with exertion.

"Just got to rest a minute," he protested.

"Not yet, sir," Sam argued.

The town was perched precariously on the top of the cliffs. Sam couldn't tell how far back the settlement stretched. There were an assortment of buildings, some of which she assumed had a defined purpose. Over to the right, she could make out the brightly lit landing strip; the place where the ship should have set down. A couple of craft roared overhead, sent out to look for other survivors.

She needed to keep going as long as she could… until she could find someone to help them. Luckily, she didn't have far to go. The crash had been loud enough to rouse the population and a group of them were coming towards them.

Sam let the Colonel down as gently as she could but gravity was working against her and he groaned as he hit the ground.

"You have to help us," she gasped.

A row of blank expressions met her plea and she realised that the rules of common courtesy probably didn't apply here. A man pushed his way to the front of the group. He had the look of a fat man who had lost a lot of weight over a short space of time. Looking around the rest of the crowd, Sam could see there wasn't an overweight person amongst them.

"What have you got?" he asked.

"Serious laceration to the upper thigh…" Sam began, only to be silence by a derisive laugh.

"That wasn't what he meant," a female voice replied.

She was tall, thin almost to the point of emaciation, black hair plastered to her head.

"Your jacket," she said.

"Excuse me?" Sam objected.

"Your jacket and I'll give you enough medical supplies to stop the bleeding."

"Deal."

Assuming that this was the way things were done here Sam stripped off the jacket Jack had given her whilst on the prison ship and handed it over.

"Come this way," the woman said.

She led them into a low building, prefabricated judging by the way the walls shook under the force of the wind. But it was dry and it as warm and Sam was very grateful. A bundle of bandages were thrust into her hands along with a quantity of thread and a needle.

"There's an empty building across the street," she was told. "Take him there."

And Sam realised she was going to get nothing else from these people. Shivering in her tank top, she shouldered her burden once more and took him to what she hoped would be a place they could rest.

&&&

Daniel could never recall exactly how they managed to get the surviving prisoners out, but brute force had a lot to do with it. He was chest deep in water by the time he persuaded Jorb that he had to leave. As soon as Yllac opened the airlock, Daniel had the feeling they would have to get out quickly or not at all. This part of the ship was already under water, which made him question the sanity of what they were doing, but the Sub-commander assured him that this was the best way out.

"You think they can all swim?" Daniel whispered to Teal'c.

"If they can not, they will die," was his friend's reply.

Although Teal'c's words weren't exactly comforting, Daniel had to accept the realism of the situation. They couldn't help everyone without endangering themselves.

"Do it," Daniel said.

The speed with which the water flooded the compartment knocked him off his feet. He managed to take a lungful of air before it happened, but he didn't think there was any way they would all get out. He had figured without Teal'c As they had seen on a previous occasion, Teal'c had the lung capacity of a killer whale and that was before you brought 'Junior' into the equation. He was the one who was able to force the prisoners through the airlock and up towards the surface.

At the back of the group, Daniel was one of the last to get out. His lungs were burning by the time he broke the surface. He saw that several of the prisoners were striking out towards the shore. Some of the others were floundering, but there was one body close to Daniel that made his heart falter. Jorb was lying face down in the water. Not thinking twice about his actions, he flipped the man onto his back and started towing him towards the shore.

Pulling Jorb out of the water would have been impossible if Teal'c hadn't been there to help. One look at his face and Daniel realised, he'd wasted his time rescuing a dead man.

There was probably someone else out there who wasn't going to make it because of his mistake. It was only as he started to walk away, that Daniel noticed that Jorb was clutching something in his hand. He had a pretty good idea what it was. Crouching down next to the corpse, he gently opened the man's fist and removed the silver ring.

"Is this wise, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"I don't think he'll be using it anymore," Daniel replied.

"And we will?"

"I don't know."

He knew that Teal'c was vaguely disapproving of his actions. Corpse robbing wasn't something that Daniel usually condoned… at least not when the body was so recently dead. But he couldn't escape the feeling that this might be important. The trinket was the only link they had with the Stargate. Daniel took a moment to look at it, finding himself amazed once again at the intricate detail. He could even make out the point of origin.

"We should attempt to locate Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said.

"Yeah … right," Daniel muttered as he shoved the jewellery into his pocket.

It didn't feel right, just leaving the body there on the beach but Daniel knew they wouldn't be able to do anything tonight. They were losing the benefit of the light and by the time the tide turned tomorrow morning, there would be a whole lot more to bury. As impersonal as it seemed, a mass grave would be easier.

They weren't the only ones making there way up to the buildings on the cliffs. Daniel caught a glimpse of Yllac being hurried away by a group of men in uniform. It was the only sign he saw that this place was guarded. No one seemed to want to talk as he and Teal'c walked through the streets. Daniel glimpsed a black-haired woman wearing an SGC issue jacket and he realised Sam and Jack had to be somewhere close. He hurried to catch up with her, but as it turned out, he needn't have bothered.

A yell from a nearby building told him exactly where Jack was. Teal'c just behind, Daniel hurried into the building. Sure enough, his friends were inside. Jack was lying on the ground with his pants off as Sam tried to stitch up a nasty would in his leg.

"Son of a bitch," Jack swore.

"If you don't keep still I won't be able to get the stitches straight," Sam's calm voice replied.

"This isn't a quilting bee."

Daniel couldn't help grinning as he tapped on the wall to let them know he was there.

&&&

This place had been designed to destroy a man's soul, Teal'c decided as he stepped out into the cold morning. His friends were still asleep, exhausted from their previous day's efforts. Last night , none of them had cared where they had slept, but Teal'c knew they had much to do before their dwelling could be considered habitable. They would need clothes, food… a source of heat. O'Neill in particular would require further medical attention. Despite knowing that Major Carter was a formidable warrior, Teal'c had quickly realised that there were some situations here that would be best handled by himself. Most precipitously, a return to the beach.

Teal'c was not the first and he knew he would not be the last. There were half a dozen people already searching through the corpses and he joined them without a word. It was a grizzly task but a necessary one. He managed to secure a set of clothes for Major Carter and another for O'Neill. They wouldn't have to know where they came from. He also gathered a host of other items, enough to barter with the other inhabitants. Having seen Major Carter's current state of undress and someone else wearing her jacket, Teal'c had been able to make a fair assessment of how to survive here.

Looking out across the water, he wondered if it was possible to salvage anything from the ship. Some debris had been swept ashore during the night, but otherwise there was little sign of what had happened. Turning his back on the sea, Teal'c gathered up the materials he had managed to salvage and headed back to the settlement. Now the rain had cleared he was able to get a clearer picture of the place.

The size of a small town, Teal'c imagined that the population was fairly static except when a new batch of prisoners were brought in. After all, from what he could see, there was nowhere else to go.

Obtaining food was another task he had to deal with. All of the prisoners had to work in the fields. They ate what they were able to grow, which was probably why they all appeared so malnourished. The situation would only get worse with the loss of their supply ship. Teal'c was able to trade some of the items he had found to get them enough food for the day. As for tomorrow… he would have to consider the situation most carefully. At present only himself and Daniel Jackson were fit enough to work. Major Carter would return to full fitness in a matter of days, but Teal'c wasn't so sure about O'Neill. Earlier, he had taken the liberty of examining his friend's wound and had noted that it was already sore and inflamed.

Daniel Jackson and Major Carter were both awake when Teal'c returned, but O'Neill's eyes were still closed. However, he was not as oblivious as he appeared.

"That breakfast?" he asked, still not opening his eyes.

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

"Excellent… just put my share over there, I'll get to it in a minute."

He gestured weakly but made no move to take the portion that Teal'c offered.

Somewhere outside a bell started to toll. Through the open door, Teal'c could see other inmates hurrying towards some unspecified destination and he realised SG-1 would be required to join them.

"Better see what that's about," O'Neill grunted as he attempted to get to his feet.

Given the extent of his injury, he managed to stand with relative ease. There were times when O'Neill appeared to have a tolerance to pain that would make any Jaffa proud. Major Carter was clearly unhappy with his sudden desire to be ambulatory but she wisely refrained to comment. They all knew that O'Neill would not let himself rest until he was certain that his team was safe.

They followed the other prisoners at a pace that O'Neill could maintain easily and they joined the back of the group. At a rough estimate, there were a thousand men and women gathered in the open area.

The building in front of them was in somewhat better repair than the rest of the settlement. Before long, a man in uniform appeared on the balcony to address the crowd.

"Let's hear what Colonel Klink has to say," O'Neill muttered.

The reference was lost on Teal'c, whose indoctrination into Earth culture had yet to encompass Hogan's Heroes.

Silence fell over the crowd as the man on the balcony started to recite the words of the Ceremony of the Lost. The harsh surroundings seemed to lessen the impact. Standing out here, the words were no longer beautiful. They were recited with no feeling, no poetry. Teal'c realised that no one here really cared about those who had died.

Afterwards a short announcement was made for the benefit of those who had managed to survive the crash and were facing the rest of their lives in this place. Together, SG-1 joined the line of people who were waiting to get their work assignments. Teal'c had already decided that he would carry out O'Neill's share. The man was leaning heavily on Daniel Jackson as they made their way back to their building.

Theirs was one of the older buildings and its state of disrepair was testament to that fact. The settlement as whole was a mixture of pre-fabricated huts and more substantial, concrete structures. Teal'c wondered if the habitation had always been a prison colony, or if it had once had another purpose.

&&&


	13. Chapter 13

**  
**

Jack had picked a really bad time to get sick, he realised as he lay staring at the walls. At least he was feeling better although he had no idea what sacrifices his team members had made to get him that way. Daniel's glasses had mysteriously disappeared and Jack had the horrible feeling they had been swapped for some antibiotics. They'd been there for a week, maybe two. It was difficult to tell. Most of it had passed in some kind of weird dream.

The room was slightly more comfortable than it had been. Jack was resting on a cot that Teal'c had got from God only knew where, he was covered by blankets that Carter had brought in on one particularly stormy night. Daniel had provided wood to keep the fire burning all day and all night when Jack had been shivering from fever. They had kept him alive, no doubt about it.

By Jack's calculations, the work shift had finished for the day and his friends would be back soon. They were able to leave him alone now, which was both a blessing and a curse. As soon as he'd started to feel better, Jack had quickly become annoyed with being looked after however lack of companionship was also making him cranky. So much so, that he was actually looking forward to being able to work. Edora had given him a crash course in manual labour.

Daniel was the first one back, bringing with him the fixings for dinner. They were lucky if they managed one good meal a day. Jack hoped that would change as soon as he was fit enough to work. He had tried, on several occasions, to make the walk to the fields, but he had been sweating and trembling before he'd made it down the block. Although it was less embarrassing than Teal'c taking him to the bathroom, Jack was still extremely frustrated by his weakness.

"Where's Carter?" Jack heard himself ask.

Since they'd all been living together, he had started to get a handle on his friend's habits. Carter was usually the first one 'home'.

"She said something about going down to the beach to see if anything interesting had washed up," Daniel replied. "Then she said something about designing a heating…"

"You weren't listening were you?" Jack chided.

"Not exactly. All I remember was something about heating water… I think she wants a bath."

Jack had never understood the female obsession with baths. He was a shower man, always had been and hated the idea of lying there in his own dirt. Still, it was getting late and, as capable as she was, Jack didn't like the idea of Carter being out there by herself.

"I'm going to take a walk," he announced.

"Right," Daniel replied, his attention distracted by his attempts to light the fire.

Leaving him to it, Jack stepped outside. It was a cool evening. Even though the sky was clear, a dark mass of cloud lurked on the horizon. There would be a storm before morning. One thing he'd noticed about the climate here… it rained … a lot. And their 'house' wasn't particularly water proof. He pulled the jacket he was wearing more closely around his body as he found the path down towards the shore. It didn't fit quite right and neither did the pants, but they couldn't afford to be picky.

Partway down the path, Jack had to stop for a rest. He hoped no one was watching as he sat on a rock, attempting to get his breath back. If it weren't for the fact that Carter was closer than the house, he might have given up and turned back. She was there on the beach, her blonde hair shining in the light of the setting sun. Jack watched as she walked to and fro, occasionally picking up a fragment of something and examining it with characteristic intensity.

There was nothing tropical about this beach. It didn't even have sand. The rocky shore made walking difficult and Jack was glad he wasn't capable of anything more than a slow saunter. The dark grey cliffs rose above, plunging the beach into shadow and Jack found himself shivering as he took another rest. There was a cave at his back and he felt distinctly uncomfortable sitting with his back to the entrance.

"Carter!" he called out and was relieved when she turned around and came to meet him.

"Are you okay, sir?" she asked, immediately concerned by his unexpected appearance.

"Find anything interesting?" he answered her question with a question. Jack was heartily sick of inquiries into his health.

"Not really. I was hoping the ship would have started to break up by now."

She nodded towards the deeper water, towards the place where the prison ship had hit the water. It was only now that Jack realised how lucky … or how skilled the pilot had been. Of course, it had helped that they had been on final approach to the landing strip… The prison colony was located on an island. There was nothing between themselves and the mainland apart from miles of ocean. Jack didn't know how many miles otherwise he would have ordered Carter to build a boat.

Seemingly tired of her fruitless search, Carter came and perched on the rock next to him. She drew knees up to her chest as she stared out across the ocean.

"Do you think they'll ever find us, sir?" she asked.

"If not we'll find our own way home," he replied in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

The truth was, he wasn't sure himself but he wasn't about to tell Carter that.

"But how long to we wait? How long before we just give up?"

"What kind of talk is that?"

"How long did you wait on Edora?"

Ouch. For some reason the accusation hurt. Jack admitted that, right at the end, when he'd finally let Laira lure him into her bed, that maybe… just maybe… he'd decided that there was no way to go home. Looking at Carter, he realised that the only thing he could do was tell her the truth.

"The night before Teal'c came through the Stargate," he admitted, "that's when it happened."

"You and Laira?"

"Yeah."

Carter pulled her knees closer to her chest.

"It was one night!" he protested.

"A lot can happen in a night," she muttered.

"Yeah, a hangover and indigestion."

Why did she care? Jack wondered to himself. Come to that why did he? God knew he wasn't a saint. Was she scared that he would find some woman here and not want to go home? Looking around at the bleak surroundings, he couldn't see it somehow. What had started out as pleasant evening was changing rapidly. The clouds that had been lurking on the horizon were fast approaching and Jack knew he and Carter wouldn't get back to the settlement before the storm broke.

"Come on," he told her, gesturing to the cave.

As much as he would have liked to, Jack couldn't manage to outrun the rain. They were both soaked to the skin by the time they reached shelter. As they stood watching the water falling from the sky, he realised that even if they didn't get home, the most important things in his life were right here with him.

"Don't you just love a storm," he grinned at Carter as lightning ripped across the sky.

She looked at him as if he were crazy. Maybe he was, maybe the fever hadn't yet died. He took a step towards her.

"Sir?" she questioned.

"Nothing."

Carter moved past him and out of his personal space. She suddenly seemed to be very interested in the walls of the cavern. Jack would have been insulted if he hadn't realised that they weren't just made of rock. Ten feet from the entrance, there was what looked like a control panel. Carter ran her fingers over it, and before Jack could stop her, pressed a few buttons at random.

Nothing happened.

"No power," she muttered.

She moved further into the cave, but the lack of illumination was a problem. Jack guessed that the light switch was probably located on the non-functional panel. For lack of anything else to do, he pressed the same buttons that Carter had. The last thing he expected was for the lights to come on.

"What did you do?" Carter demanded.

"Nothing," Jack replied looking at his feet.

Carter touched the controls again but nothing happened, she then stepped back and gestured that he should try. Jack repeated what he'd done before and sure enough, the lights went out. Carter looked as if she were about to rip the thing apart with her bare hands in her efforts to find out why the lights wouldn't work for her. Jack put out a hand to stop her. He wasn't naïve enough to think they were the first to discover this place, but he might well be the only person who had managed to get it to work. Something was lurking at the back of his mind. A memory. Words that had been spoken when he had first been captured.

That he was different.

That they hadn't seen his kind for a thousand years.

He still had no idea what it all meant.

"Are you okay, sir?" Carter asked, gently touching his arm.

"We'll come back tomorrow," he told her. "With Daniel and Teal'c."

"Yes sir."

&&&

It wasn't the next day, or the next.

By the time Sam got the Colonel back to their 'house' he was clearly weakening. He spent the night coughing up blood. All she could do was give him the last dose of their carefully horded antibiotics and hope for the best. It was three days before he even started complaining that he felt fine. Worry forced any thoughts of going back to the cave to the back of Sam's mind. Besides, she figured it would be pointless without the Colonel. She still had no idea why he'd been able to switch the lights on, and if he didn't get better she might never know.

The Colonel was strong, but she didn't know how long his body could hold out under these conditions. He needed to be in hospital… or at least somewhere that was warm and dry, where he could eat properly. Outside it was raining again and drops of water were making their way through the roof. Although the place where they all slept was sheltered, the whole place suffered from damp. They couldn't build a fire large enough to dry the place out… or keep it warm enough. Sam couldn't remember the last time she had been warm and dry. Or had a good meal. Looking down at the stew she was currently stirring, she knew tonight wasn't going to be the night. Whoever had come up with the idea of them all taking turns making dinner hadn't realised quite how bad a cook Sam could actually be. She could never manage to keep her mind on the task. Perhaps if she'd majored in chemistry….

"That smells… interesting?" the Colonel said from his corner of the room.

He was sitting up in bed and Sam felt herself blush. She had no idea how long he had been awake and watching her.

"I think it's edible," was all she was prepared to say in return.

"Where are Teal'c and Daniel?" he asked.

"Working. They should be back soon."

No sooner than the words left her mouth, than the two other men walked in. They were a little early, Sam realised but she didn't want to ask them what was wrong, not where the Colonel could overhear their conversation. Teal'c frown seemed more intense than usual, adding to her unease but before she could ask, the bell started to toll calling them all to gather in front of the camp commander's quarters.

"Daniel, see if you can save dinner," she ordered, handing him the utensils.

"What happened?" Sam asked as she and Teal'c hurried through the rain.

"A ship has arrived from Arkkadia," he replied.

"More prisoners, supplies?"

"I do not think so."

Any bad feelings Sam might have had were magnified when she saw who was standing on the balcony. Even at a distance, she had no trouble in recognising Verlan. She had to be here to investigate the crash… there was no other possible reason. As the Commissioner began to speak, Sam realised that she knew exactly who was going to be held responsible.

"You all witnessed the tragedy," Verlan said, "mourned and buried the dead. You will all go hungry during the dark season, because of the supplies that were destroyed."

The crowd shifted slightly, and angry ripple running through them.

"Those responsible are with you. We do not know when they will strike again, how many more they will kill. Help me, and I can offer you the one thing you value most highly… a way back home."

The bribe would be enough to send every inmate here baying after their blood and Verlan wouldn't have to sully her own hands.

Touching, Teal'c's elbow Sam drew him out of the crowd.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

"I believe we should leave this place," he replied.

"Yeah."

Sam wasn't about to argue with that as they hurried through the empty streets. They were lucky that Verlan was spending her time working the crowd and Sam hoped it would be enough to give them a head start… even if she had no idea as to where they would be able to go. She had some vague thought of stealing Verlan's ship, but she quickly dismissed the idea. They would be lucky if they got that far, not without some serious ordinance.

The question was still at the forefront of her mind when they got back to find Jack and Daniel already eating.

"Sorry, we started without you," Daniel said, his mouth full.

"Verlan's here, we have to go," Sam said as she started to bundle up their pitiful collection of belongings.

"What?"

"She's here and she's offering a pardon to anyone who turns us in."

"Where are we going to go?"

"The cave on the beach," the Colonel said before Sam had a chance to answer.

"Sir?" she questioned.

"I've got a feeling about that place."

He looked nervous, as if he was worried that they were all going to shoot him down. The truth was, Sam didn't have any better ideas and neither did anyone else.

They left the fire burning, fleeing into the night, into the storm. Daniel went first, picking out a path for them. Teal'c next, Colonel O'Neill leaning heavily against him. Sam brought up the rear, constantly casting her gaze backwards as she watched for signs of pursuit.

As far as accommodation was concerned, the cave wasn't a lot worse than the place they had left. At least it didn't let in the rain, Sam thought to herself as they stumbled into the darkness and it looked a whole lot better once the Colonel had turned on the lights. The cavern stretched back further than Sam had realised. In silent accord, they all started walking. Their path led them downwards, deep below the town on the cliffs.

The walls and the floor, that had been rough rock at the entrance, became smooth and Sam realised that this cave wasn't entirely natural. Before long, they came to a door.

Locked.

Without a word, Colonel O'Neill pressed the right combination controls to open it.

The cavern beyond was vast and from somewhere deep inside Sam heard the sound of water flowing, rushing. Following the noise, they found themselves on the shores of a vast underground lake. At one end was a waterfall and, at the other, a series of pipes carried the water away.

"I know what this is," Daniel said.

"Some kind of hydroelectric facility?" Sam suggested.

"No…No… I mean yes… but…"

He pulled something out of his pocket and held it up to the light. Sam recognised the miniature Stargate that had belonged to Jorb.

"' Where the water flows up to the mountain, down to the underground sea,'" he quoted.

"What?" Colonel O'Neill demanded.

"' The new land waits around a bend in the road, before the singing tree.'"

"Daniel, if you don't explain right now then so help me I'll…"

"It's the way out of here, Jack."

"I don't see any singing trees."

"We've got to find the bend in the road first."

"Of course we do."

"O'Neill!"

Teal'c had moved away from them, his gaze fixed back the way they had come. Looking down towards the entrance Sam could make out movement.

"This way," the Colonel said, picking a direction seemingly at random.

&&&

There was a path circling the lake and they followed it towards the waterfall, behind the wall of water and into a tunnel beyond. They didn't stop. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out where they had gone. Daniel lagged behind a little, searching his mind for remnants of his conversation with Jorb for something that might help them.

'Bend in the road,' he muttered to himself.

Unfortunately, he could see miles ahead. The tunnel they were in was completely straight.

No doors.

No useful ladders leading to ventilation ducts.

No panels with secret compartments hidden in the floor.

But Jack seemed to be leading them without hesitation. He at least, was confident that they were going in the right direction. Daniel sincerely hoped he wasn't bluffing.

"Sir?"

Sam's sudden cry sent Daniel stumbling forward, tripping over his own feet. She'd stopped dead, looking around herself wildly. There were only the three of them in the corridor.

"Anyone see where he went?" Daniel asked.

"I did not," Teal'c replied.

"He can't just have vanished?" Sam argued.

Daniel walked forward waving his arms in the air as he tried to ascertain whether Jack was still there and just invisible… stranger things had happened. A breath of air caressed his cheek and Daniel turned towards it. The next thing he saw was Jack, seemingly stepping out of solid concrete.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Uh… Jack…" Daniel stammered, pointing at the wall.

"It's this way."

And he disappeared again. 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained,' Daniel thought to himself as he stepped forward to follow Jack. Instinctively, he put his hands out but they never made contact with the wall. He was standing in a corridor identical to the one they had just left. If Daniel didn't know better, he would swear he'd just managed to get himself turned around.

"Come on," Jack said.

They had no choice but to follow. Daniel couldn't help notice that Jack was stumbling a little as he led the way. Shear pigheadedness would keep the man on his feet, but who knew what the cost would be. Jack took another turn through a solid wall and they followed. Daniel found himself wondering if they weren't just going back the way they had come. There was even a waterfall at the end. He refrained from saying anything as Jack led them to the other side.

"My God!" he breathed as he realised where they were.

Daniel hadn't noticed the downwards slope, but there was no doubt that they were now walking under the lake. Light filtered down from the cavern above, bathing everything with an azure glow. In the distance, he could hear wind blowing across the mouth of the tunnel. It sounded like music.

"Not tree," he said suddenly. "Sea… singing sea."

"Daniel?" Sam questioned.

"I must have misheard."

They were definitely following the right path, Daniel realised. Once again, Jack's confidence had served them well. If Jorb's verse was correct, then this was the way off this island… and to the Stargate.

Once they had passed beneath the lake, the path led them further down, deep below the surface. Daniel couldn't figure the reason why… until they found themselves standing on what looked like a subway station. In what seemed like an act of serendipity, there was a car waiting at the platform. Jack's touch seemed to be enough to set it in motion.

Once they were moving, Jack seemed to falter slightly.

Daniel's ears were popping as the moved deeper into the earth. None of them knew how long the journey would take. They had no idea how much of the ocean they had to traverse. They had been travelling for an hour, maybe two when Daniel noticed that the hands touching the controls were shaking. There was a sheen of sweat on his friend's forehead even though the man appeared to be shivering.

"Jack!" Daniel cried out, barely a second before Jack crumpled gracefully to the floor and the car slid to a halt.

Dark walls enclosed them and Daniel couldn't help be aware of the weight of rock above them. They were probably still below the ocean floor, not exactly a great place for escape routes. Sam was leaning over Jack, lightly slapping his face, but there was no response. Had they escaped only to find themselves a darker prison?

"He's burning up," Sam said.

Stepping over Jack's prone form, Teal'c moved to take the controls. No one was surprised when nothing happened.

"Jack," Sam urged.

Daniel couldn't recall when he'd ever heard her call him Jack. Protocol always demanded that she use the impersonal 'sir' or 'Colonel'. He wondered what had prompted her to change. Did she think he might respond to his first name?

"Jack, it's me," she continued.

At some level, Jack must have heard her, because he stirred and opened his eyes.

"What happened?" he coughed.

"You fell asleep at the wheel," Daniel said.

With help, Jack returned to the controls and managed to set the car moving again.

&&&

To say Jack was relieved when the car docked at the station, was an understatement. The fact he could pass out without endangering his friends was a definite bonus, he realised as the world around him darkened. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this sick. Antarctica maybe? But that had just been cold, broken limbs and internal bleeding… and his body had mended. This time he didn't know if he had the energy to fight anymore. Daniel had to help him out of the car and up a nearby flight of steps. Jack didn't even have the strength to shake him off.

"Look," Daniel said as they passed beneath a gate.

The symbols carved into the grey hoop of metal looked a little familiar. It took Jack several seconds to realise that it was a model of a Stargate.

"That's one," Daniel went on.

"How many more?" Jack asked.

"Six."

"Swell."

Jack suspected it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to him. He knew he needed medical attention. Something he didn't think he'd get any time soon. His hopes were further dashed when they stepped into the open and icy cold air slapped him in the face.

There was nothing here. Nothing at all.

They were standing on the slope of a mountain; high enough that there was a sprinkling of snow on the ground. In the light of the rising sun, Jack found himself staring across a deserted valley, over another range. Under any other circumstances, he would have found the view beautiful, awe-inspiring, but right now, he would have given anything to see some sign of civilization. A solitary house would have been enough. The desolation was soul-destroying.

Daniel was looking at him, as if to ask 'which way now?' The truth was that Jack had no idea. When they'd been leaving the prison colony the path had been clear… at least to him. Here, all he could see was a feint trail that led further up the mountain. Looking down, Jack quickly realised that a descent was no an option, not unless someone had

ropes and harnesses hidden somewhere unexpected. Resigned to fact there was only one way to go, Jack started up the path.

The higher they climbed the more his chest hurt, until he was forced to rest, struggling for breath. Ignoring the snow, Jack sat down and tried to ignore the discussion his friends were having. He suspected they were attempting to decide who would have the pleasure of carrying him the rest of the way. Before they could even suggest such an embarrassing form of transport, Jack climbed to his feet and started walking again.

They stopped again when they reached the top. The sun was high in the sky and Jack could almost believe that he felt its warmth on his back. The path they were following continued along a ridge linking two of the peaks. A shear drop either side of the arête made walking unpleasant. Jack found himself slipping a sliding on the icy ground when no one else was having problems. He tried to rejoice in the fact that the gradient was more or less level and he wasn't having to go uphill anymore.

If reaching the first peak had been painful, the second one was agony. Jack knew he couldn't go any further. The rest of the team huddled around him, trying to protect him from the worst of the wind. They never should have come this far, Jack realised. He coughed into his hand, trying to hide the flecks of blood.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c cried out, a note of triumph in his voice.

"What?" Jack croaked.

His friend was staring intently at something on the ground. Even leaning in close, Jack couldn't tell exactly what it was, but Teal'c pointed out the feint trace of a footprint. It had to be recent, he figured, otherwise it would have been covered in snow.

"Teal'c, take Carter and see if you can find out whom that belongs to," Jack ordered.

For a second he thought that Carter was going to refuse, but she dutifully trailed after Teal'c. From the look she sent him, Jack could tell that in her mind she was saying goodbye. It was one of the reasons he had sent her away, he didn't want Carter to watch him die.

Jack lay down, so he didn't have to watch them go.

"Jack?" Daniel questioned.

"I just want to sleep," Jack replied.

"You can't."

"I know."

But he was so tired. There was no fight left in his body. Jack closed his eyes.

&&&


	14. Chapter 14

**  
**

Teal'c was forced to keep his eyes on the ground as he attempted to follow the footprints. Major Carter trailed behind and from the hesitation in her gait Teal'c knew that this was the last place she wanted to be. He sympathised with her. Leaving O'Neill behind wasn't something he would ever feel comfortable with, but orders were orders. O'Neill would know that his condition would only slow them down. If they were to save his life, then they needed to get him to shelter… but they had to find it first.

The uneven snow coverage made the task that much more difficult. Patches of bare rock were extensive enough to cause Teal'c some concern. He couldn't afford to lose the trail. He was lucky the seasons were turning and a little vegetation was starting to appear. A crushed flower signalled the direction the owner of the footprints had taken. Teal'c crouched down for a moment, taking the damaged bloom between his fingers.

"What have you found," Major Carter asked.

He held up his hand, requesting her silence. Teal'c wasn't sure that the tracks would continue along the ridge. Looking down, he could see rocks that had been dislodged, as if someone had scrambled downwards. Whoever it was would have to be sure on his feet. Scree running was not for the faint hearted.

"It is this way," he decided.

Without hesitation, Teal'c took a step down the slope. His feet slipped out from under him and he slid a few feet before he managed to halt his fall.

"Teal'c!" Major Carter called out, "are you okay?"

"I am well, Major Carter," he shouted back.

There was another path, running just below the ridge. Teal'c judged that it would be impossible to see from above.

"There is another way," he called up.

"Give me a second," Major Carter replied

She managed to descend in a far more graceful fashion. Her nimble feet barely seemed to touch the unstable surface.

"It goes back that way," she said.

Teal'c realised that she was correct, the path did indeed return in the direction from which they had just come. It then swung around and meandered down to the U-shaped valley below. Following it was not easy. Teal'c felt the strain in his knees and his shins as they descended. There were several footprints and he was reassured that they were indeed heading in the correct direction.

"Bingo," Major Carter breathed as they reached the valley floor.

The house was made of stone. It blended so well with the face of the cliff that even up close it was difficult to discern. The most heartening sight of all was the smoke drifting up from the chimney.

"Let's hope someone's home," Major Carter said.

"Indeed."

They must have been expected, because the door swung open before they had chance to knock. The man was of indeterminate age. His lean form and weather beaten face were those of someone who had lived all of his life in these mountains.

"Go get you friend," he said, "I fear he does not have much time."

"I will bring O'Neill," Teal'c replied without hesitation.

He didn't know how this man had realised that they needed his help, but Teal'c believed his claim. If this man was a seer then he deserved a certain measure of respect. There was no doubt that O'Neill was gravely ill. Even without prompting, Teal'c would have hurried to bring his friend to this rough shelter.

Climbing back up the slope was no easier than the descent. Even though his symbiote gave him strength, Teal'c had to overcome his need for speed and take a slow steady pace. They had been gone less than an hour, but he could see that O'Neill's condition had deteriorated. Upon seeing Teal'c, Daniel Jackson hurried to meet him,

"I can't wake him up," he said, his words tinged with panic.

"Assist me," Teal'c ordered.

Between them, they managed to hoist O'Neill onto Teal'c shoulders. The fear that their friend would die was a real one. Even as they traversed the difficult path, Teal'c wondered if there were not already too late. By the time they reached the cottage, he could no longer tell if O'Neill was breathing.

"Rest him here," the man said, indicating a cot in the corner of the single room. "Don't worry, your friend will not die."

"He won't?" Daniel Jackson questioned.

"No, this is not his time."

"But you said …," Major Carter interrupted.

"I know, but now he is here his future has changed."

&&&

Daniel wasn't certain exactly what their new 'friend' had done but Jack was definitely breathing more easily. Being in the warm and propped up on pillows certainly had something to do with it. If he just looked a little less grey … Daniel yawned. He was starting to realise that Jack wasn't the only one who needed sleep.

Teal'c had already sunk himself in kelnorim. Sam was dozing in a chair next to Jack's bed so Daniel thought that he should probably try to stay awake. Just in case their host turned out to be an axe wielding maniac. The man was pottering around the room, clearing up the remains of their supper. In an attempt to keep himself alert, Daniel got up to help.

"There is no need," the man said.

"It's only fair," Daniel replied, "you made dinner."

They worked in silence for a few moments, before Daniel ventured,

"I didn't catch your name."

"That was because I didn't tell you. Your friend's condition was of more concern than introductions."

Sam, Daniel noticed, had roused herself and was listening to their conversation with interest.

"And?" Daniel pushed.

"Soren."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Daniel Jackson."

"I know."

Soren smiled, clearly amused by Daniel's confusion.

"Some believe that the history of the universe has already been written," he said, "I am one of the few who know this to be true."

"Once Colonel O'Neill was brought here, you told us his future had changed," Sam said.

"Quantum physics deals with probabilities. Once he was here, I knew he would not die."

"Excuse me?" Daniel questioned.

"You send a photon through two slits and it creates and interference pattern. You place a detector at one of the slits and the interference pattern disappears," Sam said.

"Still not getting it."

She gave a little huff of annoyance, an expression that was usually reserved for Colonel O'Neill.

"The photon takes every possible path simultaneously," she explained, "but when we make the observation we change the nature of its journey. All the others paths cancel each other out."

Daniel just nodded and smiled. Soren, however, seemed to understand.

"I see those paths," he said, "I observe."

"And set out futures?" Sam breathed.

"Yes."

"How?" Daniel demanded, "How can one man have so much power?"

"A gift?" Soren smiled. "If you are looking for a more scientific explanation, then I am afraid you will be disappointed. Perhaps it is something in my genetic make-up, a resonance within my DNA?"

But Daniel could sense a deep sadness beneath the jovial exterior. What must it be like, he wondered, to know such terrible things about everyone you met? Was that why this man had chosen such a solitary existence?

"And now you want me to predict your deaths," Soren said.

"No… no… not unless you want to."

Daniel didn't want to admit that this was exactly what had been going through his mind.

"They all ask the same questions," Soren replied.

"There have been others?" Sam asked.

"Yes."

"From the prison colony?"

"Some… and some seek me out for other reasons. True seers are rare, even amongst my people."

"Who exactly are your people?"

But Daniel thought he already knew. There were legend of those who had once lived in Sumeria, who had been experimented on by the 'Gods'. They had left with their 'masters' and come here. Then the population had split once again when the Arkkadians had left. The war of which Verlan had spoken?

"Someone mentioned a war?" he said.

"We were told the surface was decimated," Sam added.

"And so it appears."

Before Daniel could question the ambiguous statement, Jack caused a diversion by suddenly waking up with a chest rattling cough. He was sitting up in bed, blue in the face as he struggled to draw breath. Soren moved quickly to the stove, where a kettle was boiling. He poured the water into a mug and carried to the suffering man.

"Drink this," Soren urged.

It was a testament to how bad Jack was feeling that he didn't complain.

"Tastes like crap," he managed to say after he had downed the liquid.

"He's getting better," Daniel muttered to Sam.

&&&

Jack was determined not to push his recovery this time. He knew he'd been very lucky not to succumb to the pneumonia. Soren was being a gracious host, but Jack didn't want to outstay their welcome. The man was spending more and more time outside, almost as if their presence was uncomfortable to him. Daniel had mentioned something about Soren being able to predict the future and Carter had even added some kind of technobabble to back him up. Jack, however, remained unconvinced. He was grateful to Soren, there was no doubt about that, but he refused to buy into the man's mystical persona.

The location was beautiful Jack affirmed on the first day he spent out of bed. He could see himself retiring to a place like this. It made him kind of homesick for Minnesota, and the small town where he had grown up. Jack owned a cabin up there. Somewhere he liked to go and fish. It was only now that he was light years away that he realised he hadn't been there in far too long. The trouble was that it was a lonely place and, as much as he appreciated solitude, sometimes Jack wanted someone else there.

Of course, there was the whole being trapped on an alien planet that stood between him and his favourite fishing spot. They would leave as soon as he was well enough. They had to. As much as he liked the scenery, Jack wanted to go home. One night, after they had eaten, he broached the subject of finding a way out of here.

"I will show you the path," Soren agreed.

"Is it far?" Carter asked.

Her concern for Jack's health was both flattering and, if he were honest, slightly annoying.

"Two days walk," Soren said. "Since you have the capability to operate our systems, a second car will take you to the next gate."

Jack felt all eyes rest on him.

"What?" he demanded.

"You are one of us," Soren attempted to explain.

"One of what?"

"Our masters modified some of us, made us better…"

"And then they left," Daniel said quietly.

"Leaving us to fight, to die."

"The war."

"Yes. There were more of them, but our minds were stronger. Thanks to the modifications our masters had made some of us were able to influence their thoughts.

We made them leave."

"By making them think this planet was ruined," Carter said.

Soren nodded. Although this must have happened centuries ago, Jack couldn't help feeling that the man regretted the decision.

"How does this relate to O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

But Jack already knew the answer.

"When I was first captured," he ventured, "they said they hadn't seen my kind for a thousand years. That I was advanced in some way…"

His voice trailed away as both Carter and Daniel were looking at him with a certain amount of scepticism.

"We all came for Earth originally," Jack finished, feeling the need to defend his position.

"I suppose there could be something about your genetic structure," Carter said.

"And the same trait would occasionally show up in the Arkkadians," Daniel added.

"Yes," Solen agreed, "others have passed this way. Some have been gifted, some have not. "

"What's the exact nature of these gifts?"

"They vary from person to person, telepathy, telekinesis, precognition"

"Extrasensory perception?" Jack said.

"In most cases."

"I don't have any of that."

"Don't you, sir?" Carter questioned.

She was leaning forward in her chair, her hands clasped and Jack realised she was actually serious. This conversation was taking an uncomfortable turn. He refused to believe there was anything special about him. Compared to the people sat around him, Jack considered himself a little too normal.

"Think about it," she pushed. "Like when we were on P4C-998? You never trusted Zaruk. You read people better than anyone I know."

"I don't trust anyone who doesn't get mad," Jack replied.

There was nothing supernatural about it. Jack put it all down to all those years of field experience. And, even if Carter was right, the skill wasn't one that was always useful. Half the time no one believed him when he expressed his concerns. Soren had a benign smile on his face, as if he sensed Jack's disbelief.

"It is late," the man said, "if you wish to leave at first light…"

His polite way of saying that he wanted them out of his house. Jack had no problem with that. If he were a hermit, he'd probably feel the same way.

"Soren's right," he said.

A good night's sleep and Jack felt he'd be up for travelling again.

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Soren said before they could move.

"What?" Jack asked.

"How you are going to die?"

Jack could understand how Soren would get tired of that question, and how people would want to know. As for himself… Jack honestly didn't care. He'd faced death too many times, had wondered if this was the battle where he was destined to draw his last breath…

His friends, however, seemed to have other ideas.

"You can tell us?" Daniel questioned.

"Well, I can tell three of you."

"And me?"

"It's difficult to say. You have several deaths in your future."

Several deaths? What was that supposed to mean? Okay so, allegedly they had all died and the Nox had brought them back to life, but Jack had no real memory of the event. He couldn't say whether he'd been dead or not.

"What about the rest of us?" Carter asked.

Soren smiled. Despite words to the contrary it seemed that he liked to display his power.

"One of you will die in battle, one of you will die in their lover's arms and one of you will die in second childhood naked and alone."

&&&

Sam refused to believe that Soren's words had had an effect on her but she still found herself unable to sleep. She tossed and turned, burying her head under her pillow when the Colonel and Daniel started some kind of snoring duet that was reminiscent of a small earthquake. Neither man was usually prone to snoring, and Sam found herself wondering if their sleep was also being disturbed by thoughts of their own mortality.

Eventually, she could stand it no more and crept out of bed. The remains of their evening meal were on the stove. It was still edible and Sam grabbed herself a bowlful, before carrying it outside to eat. She didn't want to disturb everyone else with her nighttime meanderings.

The night air was cold, and Sam wished she'd thought to grab a blanket, but there was something soothing about sitting out under the stars. This close to Earth, the constellations remained familiar… except for the extra star in Cassiopeia.

The Sun

The longer Sam stared at it, the more she wondered if they'd ever get home. Soren had given them directions, but from his description, it sounded like the Stargate was on the other side of the planet. He had seemed to have no idea of how long it would actually take… or perhaps he was being deliberately vague. If others had passed this way, then they had to have gone somewhere, Sam reasoned.

To the East, the mountains were rimmed with silver light, a prelude to the sunrise. There was really no point in going back to bed, Sam realised. She'd only get about twenty minutes sleep and she'd feel like crap when the Colonel woke her up. It seemed, however, that someone else had the same idea. The cabin door swung open and Teal'c stepped outside.

"I thought you might require this, Major Carter," he said, handing her a blanket.

"Thanks Teal'c," she smiled at him.

"You are welcome."

They sat in companionable silence for a while. One didn't feel the need for meaningless conversation when Teal'c was around.

"Teal'c," Sam ventured after a while, "when Soren told us about our future… which one do you think… I mean…"

"A Jaffa yearns to die in battle," he replied.

"Right."

But Sam didn't think she liked either of the other options.

The peace however, didn't last. As the sun rose higher, Sam could hear people moving about the cabin and she knew it was almost time to go.

Soren gave them enough supplies to reach the next transfer point. He'd told them there was another branch of the transport system that reached into the mountains; all they had to do was get to it.

"And after that?" the Colonel had asked.

"It's been a long time since I have made the journey," Soren replied. "The desert is your next challenge."

"Care to give us any hints?"

"Keep your path straight towards home and you'll find water."

Useful enough to be true, vague enough to be worthless. Shouldering her pack, Sam followed the Colonel down the mountain.

Their way lay along the floor of the valley. The temperature difference was palpable and Sam soon found herself sweating. Several weeks out of training and she was already losing tone and condition. The pace the Colonel had set was a rapid one. At least he seemed to be fit again, Sam mused to herself although she wondered if he was trying to prove a point. Whatever medication Soren had given him had worked wonders. Sam just wished she'd manage to get a sample of it to take back to Janet.

They stopped to eat by a mountain stream and Sam took the opportunity to wash her face in the ice-cold water. The stream became a river as it snaked its way along the valley floor and they followed it, walking easily along the banks. When they finally stopped for the night, Sam was lulled to sleep by the music of the water running over the rocks.

The second days walk was harder. The sun really made its presence felt and Sam felt her face and arms burning. Her feet hurt, her back ached, her head was pounding, the one consolation was that none of her companions seemed to be faring any better. Apart from Teal'c… he was always the exception to the rule. Sometimes Sam wondered if the man actually had any limits.

"How much further?" Colonel O'Neill asked as they settled down for the second night.

"According to Soren we should be there already," Daniel grumbled.

He had taken off his boots and was bathing his feet.

"Another two hours walk, sir," Sam replied. "We should be there early tomorrow."

Colonel O'Neill grunted in reply as he settled back on the hard ground. He lay there for a second before pulling a few rocks out from under him and tossing them towards the river. Daniel gave a yelp, as one of them got a little too close.

"Get some sleep Daniel," the Colonel ordered.

Sam's estimate proved to be wildly inaccurate. For a mountain man like Soren, it was probably possible to make the ascent in a couple of hours. If you knew the right route to take… if you didn't spend part of you time climbing upwards only to reach a dead end. If you didn't slide down on your butt and have to climb again.

But they got there.

Another gate spanned the entrance to the terminal. That was two, Sam realised as they passed underneath. A car was waiting for them but the Colonel hesitated before climbing aboard. He was tired, they all were and he decided that they needed to rest for a few hours. They ate the last of the food Soren had given them before taking another journey into the unknown.

The first part of the journey was above ground, taking them through the mountains, down towards the sea. They travelled over the water this time, a relatively short journey that landed them on another continent. The further they travelled the more desolate the view became. Soren had warned them about the desert and Sam watched the transition from fertile land with a certain amount of trepidation. There was nothing out here. No food, no water… nothing. The last thing she expected to see was a city, a jumble of spires and towers rising above the sand. As they got closer, she could see that a band of vegetation surrounded the city. It was built on an oasis.

Once they were amongst the buildings the car slowed, and stopped.

"This looks like the end of the line folks," the Colonel said, prompting them all to get out.

As soon as they had done so, the car reversed, leaving them standing on the platform. This was obviously a one-way journey. According to Soren their next transfer point lay the other side of the desert. From their vantage point, Sam could see yellow sand stretching in all directions. She felt her heart sink at the thought of crossing the expanse. Hell, they didn't even know which direction to go.

The Colonel led the way down to street level. Sam couldn't imagine how he could be so confident. She really felt the need for weapon right now… a big one. As they descended, the noise, the heat, the smell of the city hit her like a physical blow. The streets were crowded with people and all of them seemed to be staring at the new arrivals. So much so, that Sam realised they must have seen the train arriving and hurried to the transfer point. Their scrutiny made her feel decidedly uncomfortable, as did the cheers.

Before she realised what was happening, the crowd surged forward and she found herself caught up in the movement. Only the Colonel's hand clasping her arm stopped Sam being swept away from her friends. She could just about see Daniel and Teal'c as they were forced along by the crowd. At least the people here were happy to see them, Sam mused. It made a nice change.

&&&

It reminded him of the place he had once called home. The scent of sweat and unwashed bodies, the dry desert air… even the boy that ran at his side all served to remind Daniel of Abydos. Every second of his life with Sha're returned with painful clarity. He found himself wanting to run away from these people, to find a quiet corner where he could break down. However, it didn't look as if the opportunity would present itself any time soon.

They weren't just given a room or a dilapidated shack; they were taken to a house. The single story, white walled building didn't seem that welcoming from the outside. Inside was another matter. If Daniel had been in a slightly better frame of mind, he would have thought it beautiful.

Despite the lack of air conditioning, the interior of the house was cool, providing a welcome respite from the heat outside. The others wasted no time in seating themselves on the cushions that were scattered around and making a start on the meal that was waiting.

Daniel couldn't bring himself to settle. Prowling around the house, he discovered a set of stairs that led up to a rooftop garden. Climbing the steps, Daniel found himself standing beneath a bower of flowering vines. Their perfume added fragrance to the air, masking the smell from the street below. As he stepped forward, he caught a glimpse of trees, heavy with alien fruit. It looked good enough to eat. In the centre was a fountain. He let the water run over his fingers, surprised that anyone would waste the precious liquid this way.

"Anyone else need to pee?" a voice shocked Daniel out of his introspection.

"Jack," he replied by way of acknowledgment.

"You okay?"

Jack was the only one of his friends who could possibly understand what he was feeling right now. He had been there when Daniel had first met Sha're, who knew how much in love they had been… and how much this place reminded him of Abydos. Even so, Daniel felt compelled to lie and answer with an,

"I'm fine."

Rather than telling Jack exactly what was on his mind. This wasn't the time or the place.

"Our hosts are, apparently, holding a feast in our honour," Jack went on.

"That's nice," Daniel replied.

"So it looks like it might be a long night, so if you want to get some rest…"

"I'll take first watch."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

There was no sarcasm in Jack's voice and Daniel realised that his friend really was grateful the offer. He supposed it was only natural that Jack should be tired but he found himself wondering if his friend was truly as well as he appeared.

Daniel didn't bother to wake the others. Although he was physically tired, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Sprawled over various cushions, both Jack and Sam slept soundly. The good soldiers they were, their bodies were trained to rest on order. Teal'c was using the time to meditate. After the excitement of their arrival, the rest of the city's inhabitants seemed to have vanished and the street outside was empty. In this heat, unless one happened to be a mad dog or and Englishman, Daniel couldn't blame anyone for taking a siesta.

As the sun set, the city came to life. Judging by the noise, it seemed like the inhabitants were in the mood for a party. The shrieks and yells were enough to rouse the others.

"Looks like showtime," Jack muttered.

Venturing out into the street, they once again found themselves caught up in the pull of the crowd. The city was ablaze with light and all of it was artificial. Despite the rough exterior, Daniel realised that this place still had a functional power source. The technology was unobtrusive, subtle and he wondered how much more of it was hidden from them.

The feast was held in a palace, in a room that seemed big enough to hold the entire population of the city. It was simply decorated with the same flowering vines that Daniel had seen in their garden.

They found themselves seated at one end of the room, the centre of attention, Daniel figured. Copying the other guests, Daniel sat on the floor next to one of the low tables and gestured for the others to do the same. As soon as they had done so, a man seated at the opposite end of the room rose to his feet. Silence fell. He was an imposing figure. Almost seven foot tall and well muscled to go with it; a blonde beard seemed to obscure most of his feature. Except for his eyes. Even from a distance, Daniel could see that they were bright blue.

The man raised his glass in toast,

"To new blood!" he roared.

The crowd cheered and the feast began.

&&&


	15. Chapter 15

**  
**

"I have the test results."

Garvus looked up to see his partner, standing at the entrance to their shared quarters.

"So soon?" he asked.

"You said it was urgent,"

She walked forward seating herself with some difficulty. Garvus realised that, in future he would have to pick his words more carefully. She shouldn't be working all night, not in her condition. That was the problem when you were lord of all you surveyed, people tended to do what you said without question… even your own partner. Jeann was pregnant and heavily so. Her due date was in a few weeks but Garvus was worried that she might give birth sooner than that. He was anticipating the happy event with a mixture of excitement and fear. If anything happened… She'd had several previous pregnancies, none of which she had been able to carry to term. His advisors had told Garvus to discard her in favour of a more fertile mate, but he had refused.

"So?" he pushed.

If Jeann had the results then he might as well know the answers.

"The woman isn't fertile. I don't know why, but her ovaries are being prevented from releasing eggs."

"And the men?"

The woman wasn't much of a concern. They had plenty of women, all of whom were capable of producing children. It was the men that bothered him. Back on their homeworld the fertility rates had been low enough… the proportion of those who were deported… who made it this far… Garvus didn't want to see this city die. The sperm stocks were low. They would last another cycle, maybe two, depending on how many wanted to have children. Artificial insemination only gave them a 30 success rate at best.

"The dark skinned man is incompatible," Jeann smiled.

She was teasing him, keeping back what he really wanted to know.

"And the others?" he asked, playing into her game.

"Both fertile. Sperm counts are high and motility is good."

Garvus breathed again.

"Have them moved to the laboratory," he said.

"Already done, we'll start taking samples in the morning."

She looked tired; hardly surprising given the fact she'd been up for most of the night. He remembered a time when her energy levels had seemed endless. When they had made love for days on end… when her hair had been dark, not grey and her face unlined. So long ago… or so it seemed.

"Get some rest," Garvus ordered, knowing she would obey.

&&&

Teal'c had never experienced what his Earth friends called a hangover. He was, however, au fait with the symptoms. Headache, nausea, his limbs felt like they wouldn't support his weight. Whatever he had imbibed on the previous night, it was obvious that his symbiote had been unable to completely neutralize the poison.

Judging by the way the sunlight played on the walls of the room, Teal'c judged that it was well past noon. Another oddity. He did not over sleep. There were also several disturbing gaps in his memory of the previous night. He had no recollection of returning to this place. The feast had lasted many hours. Food, drink had all been flowing freely. Daniel Jackson, had become inebriated early in the proceedings and O'Neill had ordered Teal'c to keep an eye on the man but he had no idea what might have happened to him.

Ignoring the ache in his head, Teal'c staggered to his feet. He moved through the rooms of the house, searching for his friends. They weren't there. Not in any of the rooms, not in the roof garden ... For one of the rare times in his life, Teal'c started to panic. And he had no idea what he should do. Certainly, he could go out into the city and search for them, but it covered a large area. A thorough exploration would take too long, and he had no idea if they were in trouble or not. It was not beyond the realms of possibility that they had simply found other places to spend the night. Teal'c might have convinced himself, if it hadn't been for another memory popping into his head.

At the feast, O'Neill and Major Carter … O'Neill taking a piece of fruit in his fingertips and feeding it to her. No, Teal'c was convinced that O'Neill would not have let Major Carter leave alone… or with another man.

A disturbance outside caught his attention, and Teal'c hurried down the stairs from the roof garden. Major Carter was standing in the entrance. She didn't seem to know exactly where she was and backed away from Teal'c.

"Major Carter?" he questioned, hoping that his voice sounded reassuring.

"Teal'c?"

"It is I."

She stumbled forward a few steps, seemingly about to embrace him, but she managed to bring herself back under control.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I do not know," Teal'c was forced to admit. "Where have you been?"

"I don't remember."

There was panic in her voice and he had no doubt that Major Carter's memories of the night's events were as hazy as his own. She sat down, pulling a cushion onto her lap, clutching at it convulsively. Teal'c couldn't recall ever seeing her this disturbed. She was almost traumatized.

"I don't remember," she repeated.

"Perhaps you should rest?" Teal'c suggested.

"No… I can't."

"Please… I will watch."

He wanted to let her know that she'd be safe, that nothing could hurt her whilst he watched.

"I'm tired," she said.

"Then you must sleep," Teal'c replied.

"Where's Daniel? Where's Colonel O'Neill?" she asked.

And for the first time since knowing her, Teal'c lied.

"They are sleeping," he said.

Major Carter must have believed him, because she nodded. Teal'c helped her to lie down and covered her with a blanket. Within minutes, her soft snores told him she had followed his advice and allowed herself to sleep.

&&&

Sam was vaguely surprised to see Teal'c when she awoke. He was standing at the side of her make shift bed. His stance told Sam that he was protecting her from something… she just wished she knew what it was. Sam hadn't felt this bad since she'd graduated from the Academy. She'd always been careful to moderate her drinking, especially when she was on duty. Whatever they'd been given on the previous night had to have been pretty potent but she couldn't recall having more than a glass… maybe two, certainly not enough to make her black out.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," she muttered, before lurching up off her makeshift bed to stumble out of the room. There were many things she would share with Teal'c, but the sight of her being copiously sick was not one of them. Luckily, the bathroom facilities here were more than adequate and she was spared the indignity of vomiting in the street.

Some minutes later, Sam found herself sitting weakly on the floor of the bathroom, wishing that she had a toothbrush.

"Major Carter?" Teal'c called from outside.

He sounded concerned by her behaviour. Had the man never had a hangover? Probably not, was the answer.

"I'm fine Teal'c," Sam replied.

But she wasn't. Not by a long shot. The longer she sat there, the more Sam was convinced that something untoward had happened on the previous night. And why hadn't the Colonel come to see if she was okay? He would never stand back if one of his team was in trouble… and neither would Daniel.

"Teal'c where's Colonel O'Neill?" Sam asked.

The silence that greeted her request was evidence enough. Mindful of her aching head, Sam got to her feet and went back to Teal'c.

"Where are they?" she repeated.

"I do not know," he confessed. "When I awoke, I was here alone. You returned some time later."

"We have to go find them."

Sam started out of the house, only to have Teal'c stop her.

"You are not well, Major Carter," he stated.

"I'm fine," she protested, even though the room was spinning.

"I will go," he said.

There didn't seem to be any point in arguing with him. Besides, Sam had to be honest with herself, going out in the hot sun when she was already dehydrated probably wasn't one of her better ideas.

"Stay," Teal'c said, "in case Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson return."

Sam nodded, admitting defeat. The way she was feeling right now, Teal'c would be better off alone. She didn't know why, but her immediate desire was for a bath. Sam needed to purge her body of the dirt and the sweat. This place made her feel dirty and it wasn't just the heat. The realisation that a whole night was missing from her memory terrified her. Sam felt like she was losing her mind.

There was a bath. Under any other circumstances, Sam would have found it luxurious. The depression in the floor was wide enough and deep enough for her to lie in. And the essence she added to the tepid water, filled the room with the scent of roses… even so, she didn't feel she could relax and allow herself to enjoy the sensation. She was too concerned with getting herself clean. Even when her skin was red, Sam didn't feel like she'd accomplished the task. She didn't feel like putting her stained clothes back on so she wrapped herself in a length of absorbent material as she went in search of something to wear.

Clothes had also been provided for them. It seemed like every effort had been made to make them comfortable. Why then were two of her teammates missing? After their frank talk on the beach, Sam knew that the Colonel wouldn't just have ditched them for some woman he might have met. And Daniel… he was still mourning for Sha're. No, they were in this city somewhere, maybe hurt… maybe worse. Sam tried to take solace in Solan's words that the death of her friends was pre-ordained, and wouldn't occur here.

It was dark by the time Teal'c returned. And he was alone. He looked more exhausted than Sam had ever seen him.

"They are nowhere in the city," Teal'c announced.

Sam didn't have to question him any further. Teal'c would not have left any clichéd stone unturned.

"Tomorrow we go talk to the people in charge," she said.

&&&

Teal'c did not think for one moment that they would be successful in their attempts to gain an audience with Garvus so he was pleasantly surprised when he and Major Carter were immediately guided to the man's inner sanctum. It was there that they had to wait.

During his time in the service of Apophis, Teal'c had been in many such rooms. Ostentatious, designed to draw attention to the amount of power the man held. In this case, it was vaguely amusing. Garvus ruled over a single city on a dying world. It was hardly a reason to decorate one's throne with precious stones.

Garvus did keep them waiting, however. They had been standing in front of his throne for almost and hour before he deigned to appear.

"You are concerned about your friends," was the first thing he said.

"Where are they?" Major Carter demanded.

"Helping us."

Which could have been the truth, if it weren't for the fact that neither O'Neill nor Daniel Jackson would have left without an explanation.

"How?" Teal'c asked.

"Ensuring our longevity."

"That isn't an answer," Major Carter said.

"Patience my friends, they will be finished soon."

"And we will be free to go?" Teal'c said.

He didn't know exactly why he asked the question. This man clearly enjoyed his position of power; goad him a little and they might well find out exactly what he had planned for them.

"Go where?" Garvus asked. "You cannot return the way you came and this city is surrounded by the desert."

"We'll cross it," Major Carter announced.

Garvus roared with laughter.

"Some have tried… and sometimes we find their bodies."

"And those you don't."

"Were too stupid to try and get back."

His voice became harsh and Teal'c sensed the man's deep regret at the losses his city had sustained. Garvus cared about the people he ruled. He wanted them to survive… at any cost. Teal'c feared that O'Neill and Daniel Jackson might have already paid a heavy price.

"You will return O'Neill and Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"You're right, I will… but on my terms. I lead the people here."

Garvus snapped his fingers and Teal'c realised their interview was over. Major Carter was about to voice a protest but several men appeared and bundled them out of the room. Teal'c realised they weren't in a position to pick a fight… not yet. These men were nothing but minions and he had a far loftier target in mind. Within a very few minutes he and Major Carter found themselves standing outside the palace, the gates firmly shut in their faces.

"That went well," Major Carter muttered.

She kicked the gates in frustration.

"Perhaps we can come back tonight?" she suggested.

"Are you suggesting we attempt to enter by alternative means?" Teal'c teased, managing to raise a smile.

"They're in there, Teal'c. I know it."

&&&

"The bald man," Garvus said.

"What about him?" Jeann asked.

He was rubbing her back, trying to offer her some relief from the strain of carrying the child. His mind, however, wasn't really on what he was doing. Somehow, the two strangers worried him. He didn't think that they'd accepted his explanation. They did not believe that their friends would return unharmed. Jeann had been right both men were excellent specimens.

"He concerns me," Garvus continued.

"You think he might challenge?"

After so many years together, she knew his thoughts.

"He might."

"Will he win?"

"No."

"Then you have no reason to be concerned."

But Garvus wasn't as convinced as his words had sounded. He had been challenged three times since he had taken control of the city … since he had killed old Klein in mortal combat. Each challenge had been difficult, but Garvus had always managed to prevail. One day, he would grow too old, too slow and a new man would lead. It was a fear he could never quite control. The man, Teal'c, had the bearing of a warrior. One who could prove stronger than Garvus.

He needed to be removed.

&&&

"Just try to relax, sir."

The voice was soft and gentle… familiar… unexpected. Where the hell was he? Infirmary? He was certainly lying on something soft that wasn't his own bed. At least he assumed it wasn't … Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd had a woman anywhere near his bedroom at home. And certainly not one that was so into the fact he was a Colonel that she'd call him sir.

"What happened?" he groaned.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

A question for a question.

"Party," he said.

"That was two days ago, sir."

Jack opened his eyes.

It took a moment for him to realise that the pale blur leaning over him, was actually Carter.

"Really?" he questioned. Must have been one hell of a party. Two days?

"You and Daniel have been missing for two days. When I woke up this morning, you were back, but they've taken Teal'c."

Her voice broke, and for a moment, Jack thought she was going to break down. But the Carter he knew was stronger than that. The next time she spoke there was no trace of tears in her voice.

"Daniel's still asleep. If you're okay, sir, I'd like to go and try and find Teal'c."

"Go," he told her.

Jack didn't think she'd have much luck. If he and Daniel had been missing for two days and no one had found them, then he had to assume that Teal'c wouldn't be anywhere obvious… like in the local jail or something. Still, he understood Carter's need to do something. If he had been able to walk…

They must have fed him some crazy shit. This was worse than the Blood of Sokar. It took all of his effort just to raise his head and look around for Daniel. A groan told Jack that his friend was also waking up.

"Daniel!" Jack called, "You okay?"

But the other man didn't reply. Concerned, Jack forced his aching body to move. He crawled over to Daniel's side. The man was curled up in a foetal position, silent sobs wracking his body.

"Hey… hey…," Jack soothed, as if he was talking to a frightened child. "What is it?"

Whatever 'it' was, Daniel didn't seem to be able to talk about it. He just shook his head curling himself tighter. Daniel was almost as tall as Jack, and broader, it was amazing that he managed to forced himself into such a small space.

"Daniel!"

Jack took a firmer tone, hoping that an order would snap the other man out of his catatonic state. He had no idea what might have happened to them, and if Daniel knew… But he didn't seem be responding. Moving closer, Jack placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," he said, "everything's going to be okay."

&&&

Sam really had no idea where she was going. Waking up and finding Teal'c gone had unnerved her more than she wanted to admit. Even the fact that Daniel and the Colonel had returned afforded her little relief. What the hell was going on here? Looking around, she could see nothing but happy citizens going about their daily business. Surely, random abductions couldn't be part of normal life? And Teal'c? How the hell had that happened? It was impossible to sneak up on the man. Sam had been in the damn room and had heard nothing.

Wandering the streets without any clear idea of where she was going probably wasn't going to achieve anything. However, Sam had the need to do something and she decided to give it an hour before going back. They were very much strangers here. Even at the 'celebration' they had failed to make any kind of useful contacts. As guests of honour, they had very much kept to themselves. Now that she thought about it, Sam couldn't recall talking to anyone other than the Colonel who happened to be sitting next to her. Garvus had spoken, but only to the group and not to his visitors. It was as if they were being deliberately set apart.

Even dressed as she was, in native clothing, Sam still felt that she stood out. Although she wasn't the only blonde woman here, people were staring at her as she passed by. Maybe it was the fact she seemed to be one of the few women here who wasn't pregnant.

There were somechildren running around, but not that many when you considered the size of the city. Sam wondered why she hadn't noticed it before.

She paused for a moment as she tried to get her bearings. Sam had been logging the turns she'd made and was fairly certain that she could find her way back. There was a market place ahead and she headed towards it, hoping to be a little more inconspicuous in the crowded area. She'd been in many such places on many different worlds and they never ceased to fascinate her. The shear range of merchandise was breathtaking and she would have loved to have the leisure to browse. She did pause at a stall selling the most beautiful material she'd ever seen. Shot through with gold thread, it looked and felt like heavy silk.

"Major Carter?"

The sound of her name made her start in surprise and her hand automatically reached for a non-existent weapon.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you," the woman went on.

Sam vaguely recognised her as the woman who had been paying close attention to Garvus.

"If there is anything you need please ask."

"No… it's fine. I was just browsing," Sam replied. "Anyway, it's not like I have any money."

The other woman appeared confused for a moment. Perhaps they didn't have money here? But looking over at the stall, Sam definitely saw coins changing hands.

"These traders will give you everything you need."

"Why?"

The woman suddenly looked flustered, as if she'd said something she shouldn't have. She started backing away, seeking an avenue of escape. Given her condition, Sam anticipated that she wouldn't get very far. And she didn't have to. A roar from the crowd provided a distraction.

"I have to go," she said, moving away as fast as her distended stomach would allow.

"Wait!" Sam called after her.

"Someone has just been stupid enough to challenge my husband!"

Curious, Sam followed the fleeing woman, wondering what she had meant by challenge. Her questions were soon answered when she found herself in a huge amphitheatre. It wasn't quite the coliseum but the purpose was the same. Looking down into the arena, she could see Garvus was already there, flexing his muscles, working the crowd. Even from this distance, he was impressive to look at. Sam had never been one for the overly muscular type but even so…

"Let the challenger approach!" he roared.

There was a disturbance at the edge of the crowd and a man was shoved into the arena.

Oh crap!

Teal'c.

Sam started shoving her way through the crowd, trying to get closer to her friend. Whether she was wanted to stop him or encourage him, she wasn't sure. She had trouble believing that this was where he had been all night, that this was his reason for leaving them.

Even from the front row, Sam couldn't seem to make Teal'c hear her. The crowd were just making too much noise. If he would just look in her direction… But his attention was focussed on his opponent. Teal'c was stripped to the waist and Sam was close enough to see the sweat rolling down his back. He looked like crap, she realised and in that moment, she knew that he wasn't here by choice.

And there was nothing Sam could do.

The crowd had been whipped into a frenzy. Money was changing hands as the men and women wagered on the outcome of the challenge. Sam had the feeling that Teal'c was the underdog here. Judging by the way he looked, they were right to bet against him. She tried to get to him, but men appeared out of nowhere to hold her back.

Sam's opinion was reinforced when the fight actually started. Teal'c attempted to hit Garvus, missed completely and tripped over. The crowd roared with laughter at the sight of the fallen man and Sam doubled her efforts to get through to him. She had to put a stop this before Teal'c got himself killed. Her heart went out to him as he struggled to his feet, only to have Garvus knock him back down again, much to the delight of the crowd. Sam actually found herself hoping that Teal'c would have the sense to stay down.

He didn't.

It seemed he had a death wish. Sam was forced to watch as he kept getting up only to have Garvus knock him down again. That was Teal'c for you. He never knew when to quit.

Someone would have to put a stop to this.

Twisting, Sam managed to tear herself free of the men holding her and clamber into the arena. Without even thinking about it, she hurled herself at Garvus, catching him off balance as he was about to kick Teal'c in the head.

"This stops now!" she yelled only to elicit a bark of laughter from Garvus.

"This is a fight to the death," he snarled.

One which she was certain Teal'c hadn't agreed to… not without having a fare chance of winning.

"Unless you want to challenge me?" Garvus continued.

Sam actually considered his offer carefully, but he was just too damn big for her to take down easily and her primary objective was to get Teal'c out of there. The crowd was silent. Watching. Waiting.

"Not today," she said.

"Then get out of my way."

"No."

She took a deep breath. Sam knew it was time to gamble. The traders had been willing to give her anything she asked for… which meant that one or all of them had some kind of value.

"This ends now," Sam repeated, "or you get nothing more from us."

Garvus faltered and she could see she was on the right track… whatever that might be.

"I'll cut off your supply permanently," she pushed.

Another laugh, nervous this time, more to reassure the crowd than an expression of amusement. Supply of what, Sam wasn't sure… but judging by his reaction, Garvus seemed to believe that it could be cut off.

"I show mercy," he roared and his assembled followers cheered.

Relieved, Sam helped Teal'c to stand but Garvus, it seemed hadn't quite finished with them. He leaned closer to her.

"You have spirit, Major Carter. If you weren't barren I would take you as wife."

&&&


	16. Chapter 16

**  
**

Daniel Jackson sipped the water Jack had brought him, trying to make sense of the random images that flashed through his mind. When he'd woken up, he'd been in the grip of a panic attack more intense than any he could recall… he only wished he could remember why. Every time he tried, he was almost overwhelmed by the desire to scream, not something he particularly wanted to do while Jack was watching. There was a certain amount of male pride to be maintained here. It was bad enough he'd woken up a complete wreck…

At least Jack had been there to help him pick up the pieces.

"So do you remember anything?" Daniel ventured.

"Nothing after the third tequila… you?"

"Not really."

He paused, wondering if he should say anything else.

"Daniel?" Jack pushed.

"A hospital… or a lab…?"

"Dark?"

"Yeah… but I could smell something..."

"Like antiseptic?"

Jack buried his head in his hands, as if pushing against his eyeballs would help him remember. They both recalled something, which was a start, but Daniel couldn't help feeling there was something more important still within reach. The real reason they had both 'disappeared' for almost two days.

Any desire Daniel might have had for continuing their conversation was put on hold when Sam and Teal'c finally returned. Driven out of his head by the fact that Teal'c had been severely beaten. Both he and Jack rushed to relieve Sam of her burden as she helped the injured man lie down.

"What the hell happened?" Jack demanded.

"Teal'c challenged Garvus," Sam replied.

"What?"

"I have no memory of a challenge," Teal'c gasped.

"Allegedly," Sam continued. "It seems our host rules because he's the meanest, strongest son of a bitch here."

Daniel handed Sam a bowl of water and she started to wash Teal'c's wounds.

"He said something else," she went on.

"Garvus?" Daniel questioned.

"Yeah. About me."

"What?" Jack asked.

"He said… If I weren't barren he'd take me to wife."

"Over my dead body."

Jack's alpha male response wasn't unexpected, but Daniel tried to focus on the meaning behind Sam's words. Fertility was obviously very important to these people. In order for the city to survive, they had to reproduce.

"I mean, I'm taking depo prova, so maybe I would appear that way but…" Sam was speaking but Daniel wasn't listening. He was trying to remember something Verlan had said back on Arkkadia.

"Oh God!"

"Daniel?" Jack said in response to his exclamation.

"The fertility rates were dropping. They relied on artificial insemination. Probably had vast stores of sperm…"

"Daniel!"

"That's why they took us, Jack. Garvus wants to make sure his city survives… "

"And we're both fertile."

Daniel nodded. If he'd felt bad before…

"And that's why they won't ever let you go," Sam said.

"Unless…" Jack ventured.

Now it was Daniel's turn to ask,

"What?"

He had a really bad feeling about this.

"One of us challenges Garvus," Jack finished,

"By one of us, you mean you?"

Jack just shrugged,

"Teal'c's going to be out of action until Junior can do his stuff."

"Sir?" Sam questioned. She obviously hated this idea as much as Daniel did.

"I can fight dirty when I have to, Carter."

"If we wait a couple of days then Teal'c…"

"And what if they decide they want fresh supplies?

Even Daniel could tell that Jack wasn't about to change his mind, and who could blame him? At that moment, Daniel was about ready to go a couple of rounds with Garvus, but he knew that Jack was the right man for the job. At least he wouldn't embarrass himself.

"Let's do it," Jack grinned.

&&&

Sam hadn't expected to find herself back in the arena quite so soon. She'd been hoping to persuade Colonel O'Neill to wait a while, but he'd refused to listen to reason. He has a score to settle with Garvus and, as far as the Colonel was concerned, there was no time like the present. He hadn't even wanted to wait until Teal'c was fit. Although Teal'c had managed to drag himself out her, he still didn't look good. Sam hoped his symbiote wasn't sick.

Colonel O'Neill really seemed to want to get into the spirit of the event. He'd even stripped to the waist… which wasn't a bad thing.

No!

Must not ogle CO's body.

But sometimes a girl had to do…

She admitted to herself that she hadn't expected him to be quite so muscular. Sam knew he took care of himself, but he never looked that impressive with his clothes on. By the expression on his face, she could tell that Colonel O'Neill was taking this fight very seriously and he was out to win. Although Garvus had the physical advantage of height and weight, Sam suspected that the Colonel was faster. And he could certainly fight dirty.

He aimed his first kick at Garvus' groin. His booted foot didn't make direct contact but the sight was enough for every man in the arena to cross his legs and groan in sympathy.

The Colonel danced away before Garvus had a chance to respond.

Thinking back, Sam realised she'd actually never seen Colonel O'Neill fight before… at least not when she hadn't been more concerned with saving her own skin. Watching him now, she realised there was something beautiful about the way he moved, the way he danced around his opponent. His caution was causing unrest in the crowd and there were several boos and jeers as he darted out of range once more. Colonel O'Neill didn't seem to be taking any notice and his strategy certainly appeared to be working. Garvus was the one out of breath whereas the Colonel was hardly breaking a sweat.

However, when Garvus finally managed to make contact, the blow was stunning sending Colonel O'Neill onto his ass. He sat in the dust for a moment, wiping the blood from his mouth while the crowd roared with laughter.

"This isn't good," Daniel muttered.

"Give him time," Sam said.

At least Garvus was giving the Colonel time to get up. Sam suspected it was just for the chance to prove his superiority and sure enough, he attacked as soon as Colonel O'Neill raised himself to one knee. This time, however, Garvus found his own feet pulled out from under him as the Colonel tangled his legs with those of his attacker. Garvus was a big man, and Sam winced as she heard something crack. She didn't know whose bone it was.

The two men broke apart, both breathing hard. They seemed to have reached a mutual unspoken decision to rest. The Colonel took the water Daniel offered, and Sam wondered if the conditions would defeat him before Garvus did. The heat was taking its toll.

"Jack, you don't have to do this," Daniel muttered.

"And you're telling me this now?"

But Sam already knew that walking away from this fight wouldn't be an option. Not for the Colonel.

"Don't worry, Daniel," he added. "I can so take him."

As he returned to the Arena, Sam realised he was probably telling the truth. The Colonel had certainly benefited from the rest, more so than his opponent had. He even seemed to be enjoying himself… right up to the point where he was forced to twist a little too quickly and ended up on his knees. Sam had served with him long enough to know that his knees were a weak point. Even though he struggled to his feet, she could see he was limping. Garvus had noticed it too and was quick to follow up with a kick to the injured leg. The Colonel cried out again.

Sam felt Daniel clutch at her hand. He was having more trouble watching this than she was. She had the feeling that this was going to end very badly. Garvus would not show mercy a second time.

But she had reckoned without the resilience of one Colonel Jack O'Neill. Down he might have been but he was still fighting. How he did it, Sam wasn't sure. Somehow, the Colonel managed to grab his opponent's leg and bring the larger man crashing to the ground. Before Garvus could react, the Colonel had straddled his chest and had his hands around the man's neck.

Garvus just lay there, apparently willing to accept his fate. The Colonel hesitated. Sam knew that killing a man in battle was one thing, but doing it with your bare hands… that was something else. The crowd was silent as they watched and waited. Under certain circumstances, Sam knew that Colonel O'Neill would do what he had to, however repugnant it might be. He turned his head, looking straight at herself and Daniel. This wasn't the time, she realised.

&&&

Jack stared down at the man whose life he held in his hands. One twist was all it would take to break Garvus' neck and under certain circumstances, Jack wouldn't have hesitated. But he knew he couldn't stay here and lead these people and if Garvus died that was exactly what he would have to do. He was also not the kind of man who killed for the amusement of others. Looking at the eager faces of the crowd, Jack could tell that this was exactly what they wanted him to do. Not because they hated Garvus, but because they wanted the cheap thrill bloodshed would offer. They wanted to be able to tell their children and their grandchildren the story of the death of a king. Letting his hands relax, Jack gazed down at his opponent. Whether this man would still be allowed to rule was debatable… and not Jack's problem. The people here could fight amongst themselves until they found a new leader. It just wouldn't be Jack.

Standing up he turned to face the crowd.

"We just want to go home," he shouted. "Give us food and water and we'll be gone!"

The last thing he expected was laughter.

"There's no way out!" someone shouted.

"You'll be dead in two days!" another voice yelled.

"Let them go!"

Despite the damage Jack had inflicted, Garvus' voice was still impressive. He was on his feet massaging his throat. There was a ripple of displeasure.

"Give them what they want," Garvus gasped.

As of rights he should be dead and his authority was probably somewhat of a grey area. However, these people were used to obeying him.

"You will leave at first light, "Garvus said, "Supplies will be waiting you at the South Gate."

"There's one more thing," Jack interrupted.

"Name it."

"I want every sample you took from us destroyed."

"Uh Jack…"

Daniel's voice interrupted any reply Jack could have made. He knew that look on his friend's face and had trouble believing that Daniel was actually feeling sorry for these people.

"Daniel," Jack warned.

"It's okay. They can keep mine."

"Fine."

Jack wasn't about to argue. Daniel might be okay with half a dozen mini-me's running around but Jack certainly wasn't. He wanted every one of his samples destroyed and he wasn't about to let himself feel sorry for these people. Jack couldn't get away from the feeling of violation. If it weren't for the fact he had a conscience, Garvus would be dead.

"Now!" Jack said.

"Jeann!" Garvus called and a heavily pregnant woman clambered awkwardly into the arena. Instinctively, Jack offered his hand to help her.

"Teal'c, Carter… keep and eye on Gavin," he ordered.

"With pleasure, sir," Carter replied with a grin that was almost feral in quality.

"After you," Jack said to Jeann, indicating that she should precede him. He was somewhat relieved that the advanced state of her pregnancy meant she couldn't move very fast. Now that the fight was over, Jack's joints and muscles were starting to protest.

Jeann might have been attractive once, he figured and he found himself wondering how many children she had been forced to bear. She looked worn out. Jack found himself glad that Carter's contraceptive shot had been mistaken for infertility.

In order for this colony to survive there would have to be as many children as possible and the more sons the better. How else could they improve their chances of fertile offspring and maintaining their supplies? Judging by the way he and Daniel had been treated, they wouldn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter. They probably accepted the fact that their loved ones would be taken away without warning.

The more he thought about it, the angrier Jack became. This was freaking him out far worse than the 'date rape' Kynthia had subjected him to.

If they had just asked… he kept thinking that the route was familiar… that he should remember this at some level, but his mind was drawing a blank. The streets were becoming narrower and narrower until, eventually, they reached a dead end. Jeann produced a device no larger than a remote control and it seemed the analogy was a good one. At the touch of a button, the wall in front slid away and Jack found himself walking down a short ramp into the laboratory facilities.

Jack was glad he hadn't brought Carter. She would have been drooling.

"This is it," Daniel muttered.

How come he remembered more than Jack?

"The storage facility is this way," Jeann said.

Now he was here, Jack wasn't sure he wanted to see any more. Seeing himself reduced to rows and rows of test tubes in a freezer…

"Are you sure about this, Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Are you?" he shot back.

"Yes, I am. What's done is done. It's not like I'm planning to do anything with it."

Jeann opened the door and Jack found himself faced with a storeroom that was almost empty. She indicated a depressingly small quantity of vials,

"Those are yours," she said.

"Jack…"

But he ignored Daniel. Stepping into the freezer, he swept the vials onto the floor, taking a certain amount of satisfaction out of the sound of glass smashing.

&&&

Daniel had always thought he possessed a certain amount of talent when it came to changing Jack's mind, but he wondered if the man hadn't just been toying with him. He hadn't expected Jack to carry out his threat and destroy the samples. Sometimes he wondered if he knew this man at all. It wasn't as if Daniel approved of what had happened to them. He couldn't even think about it without breaking into a cold sweat and as soon as they got home, he was going to book himself in for a session with McKenzie. Perhaps that was the difference. Jack took direct action to exorcise his demons. He certainly wasn't showing any signs of remorse… even though Jeann was close to tears.

It was doubtful that Jack's actions would make any difference... at least that was what Daniel tried to tell himself. This civilisation would either survive… or not. If not then maybe someone would come back one day and examine the ruins. At least he knew he'd done his best to make sure they had a chance. Daniel found himself wondering if Jack would ever regret what he had done. Probably not. Regret was the one thing the man had learned to live with.

Daniel's antipathy towards his friend was tempered somewhat as they made their way back to join Sam and Teal'c. Judging by the way Jack winced at every step each movement had to be causing something to hurt… which wasn't helping his mood. When Sam offered to strap up his knee, Jack snapped at her and stomped away. Which was pretty stupid considering the distance they were likely to have to walk the following day. And the day after that. Daniel had to wonder if he was the only one who thought this desert excursion was actually a very dangerous idea. Solen had seemed to think it was possible but …

They'd actually be better leaving now and walking through the night. If Daniel had his way, they'd leave most of the food behind and take water. However, he hesitated before going to find Jack, not sure if his friend would be receptive to the suggestion. To hell with it. Jack would have to listen. After all, Daniel was the one who had more experience in these conditions.

He found Jack in the garden watching the sun dip below the horizon.

"Jack?" he ventured.

"I don't want to hear it, Daniel," was the abrupt reply.

"Not about that."

Taking Jack's silence as an invitation to continue, he went on,

"I think we should go now and give ourselves the advantage of the night."

Jack didn't reply immediately and Daniel wasn't sure if he'd heard.

"We don't want to be walking during the day."

"I know that, Daniel," Jack replied.

"Good… so…?"

"So?"

"Shall I tell Sam and Teal'c?"

"If you want."

About to turn away, Daniel paused and said,

"Why did you do it, Jack?"

It was a personal question, but Daniel had the feeling that out here, away from everyone else, he might just get an answer.

"If I have more kids I want to be there to see them grow up."

Daniel replied the only way he knew how, clasping Jack's shoulder in silent sympathy.

&&&


	17. Chapter 17

**  
**

Teal'c stared out across the desert, realising it could prove his greatest challenge. He was hoping that battling this most extreme of environments would erase his recent failure. No matter how weak his body had been, he wanted to believe that he could have found a way to maintain his honour in the battle with Garvus. He found himself wishing that Major Carter had not interfered.

There was no one here to see them leave. Teal'c had the feeling that the city was licking its wounds. Garvus would probably prefer to forget that SG-1 had ever been here to upset the status quo.

"Which way?" O'Neill asked.

"Solen said we should keep heading towards home," Major Carter replied.

She pointed to one of the stars that were shining brightly in the clear sky. Teal'c recognised the constellation as the one the humans called Cassiopeia. Major Carter had explained that they were close enough to Earth's home systems for the shapes the stars made to be the same.

"That's the Sun? I mean our sun?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"Yes."

Teal'c hefted the water bag onto his shoulders, taking comfort in the weight. He had the lion's share of their water supplies. The sand had not yet finished giving back the heat of the day and Teal'c could feel the warmth through the soles of his boots. Despite the heat, they were all fully clothed in the robes that had been provided. The conditions being what they were, the clothing would grow damp with sweat, keeping them cooler than if they'd been naked.

"Let's go," O'Neill ordered.

Embedded into the city wall was another gate. The fourth.

"Three to go," Daniel Jackson stated the obvious, probably hoping that the fact they had completed the major part of their journey would serve to raise moral. Judging by the expressions on the faces of his companions, Teal'c realised he had failed. O'Neill's mood was still uncertain and their leader's anger was affecting them all.

Even with the air cooling, Teal'c soon felt himself start to sweat, but he wasn't going to be the one to tell O'Neill to slow down. There was method to his apparent madness, however. This desert was more than sand and a dim shadow on the horizon, a sizeable out crop of rocks, would give them protection during the heat of the day.

At first, it seemed easy. The city fell behind and Teal'c felt his heart lighten as it disappeared into the night. O'Neill's target, however, was further away than it first appeared. The sun rose and they were still walking, still forcing themselves onwards. They did not, could not stop for rest. Even Teal'c was staggering by the time they stumbled into the scant shade the rocks offered.

"No water," O'Neill said, his voice sounding dry.

"Soren didn't say exactly where we'd find any," Major Carter replied.

"That's helpful. Did he happen to mention how long it would take?"

"No sir."

Major Carter leaned back against the rock, too tired to argue any further. They all managed to sleep a little, Teal'c noticed, before the sun started to dip and it was time to walk once more.

The second night was more difficult than the first. They seemed to cover no distance at all and Teal'c started to wonder about the star that was supposed to be their guide. Even with rationing, he was aware that his load had been significantly depleted. At a rough estimate, they would run out of water in the next day. They would be dead two days after that.

When the sun rose on the second day, O'Neill led them towards another rocky protuberance, but it gave scant shelter. Major Carter was perhaps the most fortunate as she was small enough to crawl into a crevice and escape the glare of the sun. Even Teal'c's dark skin was burnt that day.

As they started the third day's walk, Teal'c realised it was too late to turn back. He suspected however, that O'Neill would rather die out here than return to the city. Their pace was slower now, as the extreme conditions took their toll.

"Sir!" Major Carter's shout surprised them all. She started coughing as she inadvertently inhaled a mouthful of sand. Teal'c gave her the last of his water.

"Do you see that," she went on, as soon as she was able.

Narrowing his eyes, Teal'c tried his best to see what she saw. Maybe Major Carter's eyes were better than his were, or maybe she was hallucinating, but all he could see was the unbroken desert terrain.

She picked up the pace, forcing all of the men to break into a trot in their efforts to follow her. Despite his doubts, it seemed that Major Carter's instincts were good. Before long, Teal'c noticed a definite change in the terrain. There was less sand and they soon found themselves walking into a rocky valley. Day broke once more, but the air was scarcely cooler, despite the protection the cliffs offered. If anything, the conditions were worse because now they had no water. Despite the stunted vegetation, here was no sign of the water that Soren had promised.

They had no alternative but to keep walking.

Teal'c's symbiote would protect him for a time, but his friends were already feeling the effects of dehydration. Their steps were slower, less sure. O'Neill stumbled more than once, muffling an exclamation of pain as he repeatedly jarred his injured knee. They were still travelling in the right direction… assuming the instructions they had been given were correct. Teal'c was starting to wonder if there had been a change since Soren had last travelled this route… if he ever had.

They had to find water soon.

If the sun hadn't been shining, they might well have missed it. A dampness in the rocks. A barely discernable trickle of water that caused the red stone to shine. They followed it eagerly and, eventually, the trickle became a stream.

They stopped at the first decent sized pool, drinking eagerly and not caring that the water might well be contaminated. Teal'c watched with a smile on his face as O'Neill scooped some water into his hands and threw it at Major Carter. She shrieked in girlish glee before pushing her commanding officer into the pool. Before long all four of them were soaked to the skin.

&&&

"Wish we hadn't ditched most of the food," Jack grumbled as they trudged onwards.

Now he wasn't thirsty anymore, his stomach was growling.

"Perhaps some of this is edible," Carter replied, indicating the vegetation that surrounded them.

The trees were heavy with fruit but Jack wasn't about to risk it. Perhaps if they got desperate he could get Teal'c to try some first. At least he had Junior to protect him against a case of diarrhoea.

They'd passed through another gate on entering this valley, but there was no other sign of civilization. Jack didn't know if they should expect any. It was possible that the city represented the last vestiges of civilization on this world.

Jack couldn't complain too much, it was nice to be travelling in daylight again. Finding water had definitely raised their spirits. If he looked back, Jack imagined he could see the edge of the desert. He shuddered when he considered what might have happened if they had gotten lost. It was amazing how avoiding certain death improved morale. That and several hours sleep. He even suspected that Daniel had forgiven him. Now if his damn knee would stop hurting… He'd let Carter bandage it at last… which made her happy.

Now if he could figure out a way of getting Teal'c to smile…

Or at least raise an eyebrow.

But his friend had been more than usually stoic since they'd left the city. Jack suspected it was the whole 'Jaffa revenge thing' that was bothering him. Teal'c would have loved the chance to grind Garvus' face into the dust, but Jack wasn't about to suggest that they went back to satisfy wounded pride.

This was the ideal location for a summer walk, he mused; grass, trees, a stream gurgling nearby… what more could one ask for? Okay it might have been better if it was actually on Earth… And these people may not have been his family, but they were the next best thing.

They followed the course of the river figuring that any civilization would be close to a source of water. And, after their trek across the desert, none of them wanted to stray too far away from fresh supplies. Jack called a halt earlier than usual. They'd covered a lot of miles that day. Besides, he liked the spot by the river. It reminded him of one of his favourite places back home, where there was nothing much to do but watch the play of sunlight on the water. He recognised the dangers of becoming overly complacent. This was not Earth.

The night was warm, and Jack didn't think he'd have any trouble sleeping. The sound of the river lulled him into the pleasant state where he was half-awake half asleep, but somehow his mind refused to slip further into dreams. He sat up and looked around; trying to figure out what was stopping him from sleeping. Both Carter and Daniel were resting quietly. Teal'c was meditating, although he did open an eye when Jack sat up, he did not appear unduly perturbed.

Jack couldn't work out what was disturbing him. The rational explanation was nothing at all, but his instincts were telling him otherwise. It was as if someone was whispering directly to his brain… and he couldn't make out the words. Was there someone out there watching them?

"I'm going to…" Jack told Teal'c.

He had no idea where the whispering was coming from, but the nearby stand of trees seemed like a good place to start. Moving between them, he quickly lost sight of the river, and of his friends. Unarmed in the darkness, Jack realised this probably wasn't one of his better ideas. Then again, he would rather have a few seconds to shout a warning than be murdered while he slept. There was no change in the perceived volume of the whisper and Jack couldn't tell if he was getting close. This was nuts, he realised. He could be wandering around all night. If that damn buzzing would just stop…

Then he heard something else … hooves on grass, the soft thud of a large animal walking towards him. Jack froze, realising that keeping still was probably his best form of defence. But the animal coming towards him was nothing more frightening than a common horse. He stopped in front of Jack, extending his nose in the hope of a treat. Something about the scene reminded him of that first trip to Abydos and of Daniel; the horse was saddled and bridled. It was a good-looking animal, almost sixteen hands, in Jack's estimation and as black as the night.

"Where have you come from?" he asked.

The horse gave a low wicker, butting against Jack's chest and he was gripped with the insane urge to ask the horse to take him to its owner. Still, it was a sign that there was someone out here, and Jack was certain that he or she would want the horse back.

He took hold of the reins and started to lead the animal through the trees.

The night had taken on a surreal quality. While he had been walking, two moons had risen in the sky, shining brightly enough to bathe the world in silver. The shadows were confusing, and Jack wondered for a moment if he'd taken a wrong turn. If he didn't know better, he'd swear the trees were moving. The horse whinnied as the shadows resolved themselves into people. Hooded and gowned, he couldn't make out their faces.

Crap.

Dropping the reins, Jack clapped his hands over his ears as the whispering increased in intensity.

"Will you quit that!" he snapped.

And the noise stopped.

"Thank you," he breathed.

Jack didn't know what to say next. The people just stood and stared at him. At least that was what he assumed they were doing.

"Colonel!"

"Jack!"

"Over here!" Jack shouted back. "We've got company."

He could hear his friends blundering through the trees and Jack found himself momentarily annoyed at their lack of stealth. Giving away their numbers and position… it was only as he listened a little more carefully that he realised Teal'c wasn't with them.

Sure enough, Daniel and Carter were the only ones who joined him.

"Hello?" Daniel said. "I'm Dr…"

The cloaked figures started to move away.

"I think they might want us to follow them," Jack said.

He made no sign that they were one man short. However benign these people might seem, it made sense to have someone in reserve just in case general unpleasantness should occur.

As they followed the figures, Jack found himself wondering if they were real or not. The long robes made them appear to float across the ground and he couldn't help noticing that the moons shone wherever they walked. They paused when the reached the edge of the trees and Jack could see a whole bunch of horses waiting patiently in the clearing. It looked as if they had quite a journey ahead of them.

It had been a couple of years since he'd been horseback riding, and it was with a certain amount of trepidation that Jack swung himself into the saddle. The horse danced a little at the feeling of an unfamiliar rider on its back but calmed as Jack ran a soothing hand down its neck. Gathering the reins, he guided the horse onwards. Going back didn't even enter his mind.

Jack urged the horse into a trot. He had the feeling he was superfluous, the horse seemed to have a good idea where it was going and Jack made no effort to check the pace. There was something very liberating about riding a good horse over open country. He glanced over at his companions. Carter rode the way she did everything else, very efficiently whilst Daniel was hanging on as if his life depended on it. Just for the hell of it, Jack let his horse have its head, extending its pace to a ground-eating canter. The last thing he expected was Carter to follow him. She drew level then pushing her mount a little harder, she moved ahead. He could see the grin on her face as she relished their impromptu race. Jack had never realised that she was such a speed freak.

It was madness, he realised. He had no idea what kind of country lay before them, but somehow Jack couldn't bring himself to slow down. The horse, however, had other ideas, slowing of its own accord as another gate loomed out of the darkness. Jack couldn't help thinking that this one looked different from the others. For a start, he couldn't see what was on the other side. Carter must have noticed because she swung herself down and walked towards it, fingers outstretched.

"Carter I think we should…" Jack began. "…wait."

And he stepped after her.

&&&

Sam had fallen into darkness. Thick, black, cold, she could almost feel it clinging to her skin. Hitting the ground had been painful; she'd had no time to prepare herself for the fall. She was lying on a surface that was soft… and slightly sticky… and the smell…

Rotting flesh.

"Sir!" Sam's yell sounded pathetic even to her own ears. It didn't seem as if he'd followed her. Probably had more sense.

She couldn't see anything, not the gate, not the area surrounding it. Sam didn't even know if she was outside.

"Hello!"

Sam was angry with herself. Rule number one of extraterrestrial exploration, never touch the alien device. It was right up there with never sleep with aliens after they've given you cake.

Rolling to her knees, and then to her feet, Sam took two steps one way and then two steps the other. She almost walked into the wall in both directions. There had to be a way out… there had to be.

&&&

As the horses broke into a trot, Daniel knew he was going to hurt in places he'd rather not mention. He hated horseback riding and the fact that Jack and Sam had gone gaily galloping off into the distance didn't improve his feelings towards the sport. Daniel knew he was perfectly competent, but it wasn't something an archaeologist was called on to do often… unless one happened to be Indiana Jones. And usually it was on native ponies that were a whole lot closer to the ground not on something that was capable of winning the Kentucky Derby. The only thing that reassured him was the fact that his cloaked companions didn't appear to be unduly worried. They didn't increase their pace and since there were no cries for help, Daniel figured he was safe to keep plodding onwards rather than galloping to the rescue. Every now and then, he looked back, trying to see if Teal'c was following… not that Daniel actually expected to see him but he would have liked some sign that his friend was out there.

Unusually, he did not attempt to strike up a conversation. Something about these people stopped him and it made for a slightly disconcerting journey. All he could hear was the thud of his horse's hooves. He was somewhat relieved when he spotted another Gate appearing in the distance. However, the fact there were two horses, minus their riders, standing patiently by the structure wasn't particularly reassuring.

Had Jack and Sam gone through the Gate? Why hadn't they waited? He could see that this Gate was different from the others and it was disconcerting not to be able to see what was on the other side.

Perhaps it was Daniel's imagination, but he thought he heard a murmur of concern from his travelling companions. One of them dismounted and gathered up the two free animals then they all headed towards the Gate. Daniel tried to hold back, but his horse had other ideas. He felt the reins slip through his fingers as the animal snatched at the bit and plunged forward.

When the moment came, Daniel actually closed his eyes and held his breath only to be disappointed when he didn't feel anything at all. The horse came to an abrupt halt, almost sending Daniel over its head. Seeing his hosts were dismounting, he scrambled down from his mount, convinced that he'd been given the one that was a bit mad.

"Daniel!"

The voice was Jack's and Daniel turned around to see his friend hurrying towards him.

"Have you seen Carter?" Jack demanded.

Daniel looked around, not quite understanding. Wasn't Sam here?

Here, seemed idyllic from where Daniel was sitting. The Gate was set on the shores of a lake, a group of house close by. Strangely enough, the sun was shining, but he couldn't help noticing that there was something odd about the sky. It was almost as if there was a veil drawn between themselves and the sun. Perhaps it was the same trick of the light that made the pebbles on the beach appear decidedly pinkish.

"… she walked through that damn gate… I followed, she's not here and no one will tell me anything worth a damn."

There were several people in view. All appeared to be going about their daily business with a serenity that Daniel found slightly disconcerting. They certainly didn't seem to think there was anything wrong.

"Hey you!" Jack shouted at one of the people who had escorted Daniel through the Gate.

However, the person in question seemed to be more concerned with divesting themselves of their long robe. There were only beautiful people here, Daniel realised as he found himself gazing in awe at the woman. His heart gave a painful bound, for some reason she reminded him of Shar'e. Although her hair was blonde, she had the same brown eyes, the same smooth tanned skin… To his disappointment, those eyes seemed to be fixed on Jack.

"In case you haven't noticed we're missing someone," Jack was saying.

The woman didn't reply.

"No we didn't go through the Gate together. Carter went first."

And Daniel realised he was only getting half of the conversation.

"Anyone want to fill me in?" he asked.

Jack stared at him.

"You're not hearing this?"

"No. I mean I hear you, I hear you fine."

"What?"

Daniel offered a weak smile, hoping that Jack's last statement had been a joke, but he was actually finding the whole situation frustrating. He wasn't used to being the person who had difficulty with communication.

"My apologies," the woman said. "I assumed you were all gifted and could read my thoughts. As I was saying to your friend, my name it Pell and I was charged with the task of bringing you here."

"Gifted?" Daniel questioned, and then he looked at Jack.

Suddenly many of the things that had happened to them recently started to make sense; Jack's separation from the team when they had first arrived, his ability to operate the technology… and now he was here when Sam wasn't.

"This place is protected," Pell continued.

"So where does someone without the gift end up if they go through the gate by themselves?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Jack… what about…" Daniel began.

"Teal'c? Yeah … I know."

&&&

Tracking his friends was more straightforward than Teal'c had expected. The ground was soft and the moon full, and the hoof prints were clearly visible. He had not, however, able to keep his friends in sight. Their pace through the trees had been slow and Teal'c had had no problems keeping up. However, once they had reached the tree line the situation became more difficult. The rolling grasslands yielded no cover and he had to wait until the party was out of immediate view.

The fact they were mounted added an additional level of difficulty to the challenge. From the traces he could see that the horses were trotting. At a run, Teal'c knew he could match the pace however he would not be able to overhaul them. If they moved more rapidly, they could easily cover distances far greater distances. Teal'c did not believe he would lose the trail, but if his friends were in trouble it was possible he would not arrive in time to come to their aid.

He set off after them at a pace between a jog and a run. Teal'c knew he might have to cover a great distance and did not wish to drive himself to exhaustion. His symbiote would give him endurance far beyond any mere human, but he was not invulnerable. This was a battle, he realised, a fight with his own fitness… and a way to redeem himself for the weakness he had displayed in the city.

The night was cool, clear and the terrain smooth enough to make running easy. Teal'c felt like he would be able to continue for many hours and there was no trace of the debilitating weakness that he had felt during his fight with Garvus. He felt as strong as he always had. Teal'c was almost disappointed when he saw the bulk of another Gate looming through the darkness.

There was no one in view and the horses' tracks were leading straight towards it. Teal'c followed. It was only as he jumped into darkness that he realised he'd made a mistake.

He landed on something soft, something alive. It made no noise other than a groan as it was crushed beneath the weight of Teal'c's body. Then it bit him. Hard.

"Major Carter?" he questioned, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Teal'c?" her voice replied.

She struggled out from underneath him and he found himself sitting next to her, their backs pressed against the damp wall. From the way their voices sounded, he could tell they were in an enclosed space. Major Carter could not have been here for very long, he guessed and if that were the case…

"Have you seen the others?" she asked.

"I have not."

Teal'c tried to gain some comfort from the fact they were together, however since there was clearly no way out, such reassurance was short lived. There was a definite chill in the air and he could feel Major Carter's slight frame shaking. He refused to believe it was from fear. Fumbling in the darkness, Teal'c placed his am about her shoulders.

"Colonel O'Neill will not leave us behind," he said.

"I know," Major Carter replied.

"And Daniel Jackson is most resourceful."

"I know."

&&&

"It has to be me," Daniel said.

He wasn't taking no for an answer. No matter what anyone might think, Daniel was the only one who could do this. If Jack walked through that Gate, he'd wind up back where they'd started. Arguing was wasting time, Teal'c and Sam could be in trouble.

"Are you sure you have no idea where they are?" Jack demanded.

"No," Pell shook her head, "it has been many years since anyone has travelled this far. Most remain in the city and those that do not…"

"Never make it across the desert."

"I am sorry."

"No you're not."

Daniel could tell that Jack was pissed. This defence mechanism of theirs had placed the lives of two of his team at risk … not the best way to endear oneself to the man. The rescue plan, however, was elegant in its simplicity. Daniel, with a rope tied around his waist, walking through the Gate… he'd end up with Sam and Teal'c, and then Jack could pull him back. At least that was the way it was supposed to work. Daniel didn't want to admit that he was nervous when he stood before the Gate. The fact that Sam hadn't been able to find a way back was something of a concern. They couldn't get back was the conclusion Daniel had been forced to come to. Either they were hurt or… he really didn't want to think about that.

"Here," Jack said, handing him a torch. "It might be dark."

Who knew where he got it from, but Daniel appreciated the thought.

Which was Jack's way of telling him to be careful. Taking a deep breath, Daniel walked through the Gate.

The rope, it turned out, was a really bad idea. Daniel found himself dangling in mid air, unable to move up or down… until his weight became too much for Jack to keep hold of and Daniel was sent crashing to the ground. He let out a yell as he dropped.

"Daniel?" a voice asked.

Sam's voice. Daniel turned the torch on, shining it in her face to confirm his suspicions. She and Teal'c were sitting against one wall of this tiny room. He turned the light upwards and there was the Gate. Set in the ceiling it was too high for any of them to reach. With a sinking heart, Daniel realised that he knew what this was…

An oubliette.

Anyone who passed through the Gate without being accompanied by one of the 'gifted' would end up here … trapped in this hole and left to rot.

"Glad you could join us," Sam said.

There had to be a way out. Surely there was some kind of failsafe mechanism, otherwise how did one build a room from which there was no escape? Although he was certain that Sam and Teal'c would have searched the room to the best of their abilities, Daniel had one advantage… the torch Jack had given him. Without another word, he started to examine the walls of their prison. He didn't know what he was expecting to find … not exactly. There was certainly no inscription of any kind. The only markings he found on the walls were what looked like the scrape of fingernails and the carving of a perfect circle. Curious, Daniel ran his fingers over the pattern. It couldn't possibly be a natural formation. He tried pressing it and wasn't surprised when nothing happened. Escaping from certain death was never that easy.

"What have you discovered, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, having notice his preoccupation.

"I don't know," Daniel replied.

"It's a damn shame we don't have the key," Sam said.

Or maybe they did.

Daniel's eager fingers found the chain about his neck, the icon that Jorb had given him so many weeks ago. It couldn't be that simple… could it? Fumbling slightly, he removed the chain from his neck. The disc was exactly the same size as the carving but he couldn't see anything that looked like a mechanism of any kind. Figuring there was nothing to lose; Daniel pressed the ring against the wall.

Nothing happened.

He'd been right. It was too good to be true.

"Try it the other way," Sam urged.

For a moment, Daniel couldn't think what she meant. It was a circle; there was no other way… until he remembered that there were only inscriptions on one side. He turned it over and tried again. This time there was something… the groan of machinery that was older that Daniel cared to guess. After all this time there was no guarantee that anything was still in working order.

"Look!" Teal'c said, pointing towards the ceiling.

The Gate was descending and all they had to do was climb through it again.

&&&

Gate number seven… the Stargate.

It stood in the centre of the village, free for anyone to use. It sickened Jack to know that the way home was so close… he just couldn't imagine himself leaving without his friends. There didn't seem to be any point in going home on his own, but Jack O'Neill knew his duty. He had to warn his superiors that there was a threat here of which Earth was blissfully unaware. Jack wasn't naïve enough to believe that the Arkkadians would be content to leave them alone. They knew Earth was close by and habitable. Unlike the people on this world, the human race couldn't hide themselves behind a series of mind tricks and shields.

Unable to leave just yet, Jack found himself walking on the shores of the lake, the pink stones crunching beneath his feet. With Daniel gone, Jack had no reason to linger. Even if he searched the entire planet there was no guarantee that he'd find the rest of SG-1. And he didn't have time to search the entire planet. He didn't even know if they were alive.

Jack found himself cursing his own weakness. He should have tied the damn rope to something, but he hadn't expected Daniel to drop so quickly. Even Teal'c would have struggled to hold the man under those circumstances. Daniel was a whole lot heavier than he looked. It had been a mistake to let him go… However, short of tying him up, Jack wasn't sure he could have actually stopped him.

Kicking the nearest stone, Jack wished there was something else on which he could have taken out his frustration. Preferably something he could beat crap out of. The only thing rocks were good for was throwing. Finding a flat one, he attempted to skin it across the surface of the lake. It sank without bouncing even once. Resigned to the fact that nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to go right today, Jack hurled the next rock through the nearby Gate.

&&&

Sam had all sorts of theories as to what the Gate was, but at that moment, she really didn't care. All she wanted to do was get out of that terrible place and she almost pushed Daniel out of the way in her efforts to clamber through the Gate. It wasn't that she was afraid of the dark. As she had told Colonel O'Neill on a particularly memorable occasion, she hadn't been prone to that fear since she's been a very small child. What she didn't want to do was die alone and forgotten. Until Teal'c had fallen into her prison that was exactly what Sam had thought would happen. Illogical though it might have been, she still couldn't shake the feeling.

She tumbled through the Gate, landing on her back on the hard ground and was content to lie there taking gulps of the clean air. But as she opened her eyes she realised they were back where they'd started. The night sky, the stars, everything was exactly the same. If it hadn't been for the fact that the moon had set, Sam would have suspected that no time had passed at all.

"Damn it," Daniel breathed.

"Daniel?" Sam questioned.

"This wasn't where Jack and I ended up. It was a village… the sun was up."

Sam had figured as much, but she had hoped that it might have been close… not on the other side of the damn planet. Home had never seemed further away. She was tired, bitterly tired of this.

Should they stay here? Or make some attempt to find the Colonel?

She didn't think it would be easy. The fact that she and Teal'c had ended up somewhere else indicated that the village was protected by an elaborate defence mechanism. There were several reasons why Colonel O'Neill had been allowed to pass through, not the least of which was his obvious affinity for the technology here. She was assuming the fact that she had gone through the Gate alone had resulted in her incarceration.

"We'll stay here tonight," Sam decided.

If Colonel O'Neill was going to look for them anywhere it would be back where they'd started. At least she hoped so. Besides, she didn't really fancy tramping across unknown terrain in the dark.

None of them even tried to sleep. Daniel lay on his back staring at the stars whilst Teal'c sat crossed-legged but made no attempt to meditate. Sam sat in front of the Gate, her knees drawn up to her chest as she tried to think of a way to get a message through. She theorized that the device had to work in a similar fashion to Thor's Hammer. At some level, it must scan whatever was passing through and decide if it met a certain set of criteria. Now if Sam could find a way to access the mechanism then she could…

"Ow!"

Sam clasped her hand to her head, rubbing the spot where she'd just been hit by a small rock.

"Sam?" Daniel questioned, scrambling to his feet.

"I'm okay," she reassured him.

The stone was lying at her feet and Sam picked it up, turning it over in her hands as she studied it intently. Even in the dim light, she could see that it was different from the odd stones that littered the grasslands.

"Do you think…?" Daniel began.

"Indeed," Teal'c affirmed.

They were right; there was only one person who would think of throwing rocks through the Gate as a means of communication. Quickly, Sam ripped a strip of material from the hem of her robe, tied it around the stone and hurled it back. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later a familiar figure appeared.

&&&


	18. Chapter 18

**  
**

The Irkallan's had lived in harmony for generations and Pell had never felt anything other than peace and contentment from her companions. Certainly, there was the constant worry that their civilisation would be discovered but she had always had complete faith in the elders and their assurances that they would always be safe. Why then was everyone so unsettled by the arrival of the four strangers?

Perhaps it was the fact that only one of them appeared to have the genetic marker that was the legacy of their forefathers. Having those who were not gifted walking amongst them was a strain. Pell had never really considered how she would feel if she could not hear the thoughts of others… or what a strange quiet place the world would be. She found herself wondering if they were ever lonely.

And speech seemed such a cumbersome way to communicate.

Still, they would be gone soon and life would return to normal. They seemed as eager to leave, as she was to see them go.

There had been some discussion amongst the elders as to whether they should be allowed to leave. The knowledge they possessed was dangerous. Pell hated to think what would happen if the Arkkadians ever realised that this planet was more than a refuge for prisoners. Even this village was nothing more that a front. A simple people, living a simple existence… it was so much more.

She doubted that outsiders could ever truly understand the reasons why they had to hide. Pell hated the questions they asked, their insatiable curiosity about the way her people lived… and the fact they never seemed satisfied with the answers. It wasn't something she couldn't ever hope to understand.

Why would anyone want to explore a new world?

Was there own so terrible that they felt driven to find somewhere else?

"They want to return," Pell informed the elders.

"Then they will find nothing," she was told.

"So we will start again?"

"It has been decided."

Pell would be sorry to leave, but if there was the slightest chance the outsiders could lead the Arkkadians to this place…

"And the Stargate?"

It was their last connection with their ancestors. One day, it was hoped, they would use it to return and walk once more amongst the people they had left behind… to view the results of their genetic experiment.

"Must be abandoned."

And they would truly be alone.

&&&

You'd have thought he'd have learned by now, George Hammond mused as he watched SG-1 troop into the conference room. Washed, scrubbed and fresh from their post-mission physicals they didn't look any the worse for their extended stay off world. SG-1 were like the proverbial bad penny … they always turned up eventually. Admittedly, they had been away for much longer than anticipated and, with no ship to send after them, George had to admit that he'd been on the point of giving up… but at least he hadn't gotten around to holding the memorial service. That would have been darn embarrassing.

The debriefing was long. Given the length of the mission, it could hardly be anything else. As they spoke, George was profoundly reminded of the reasons why he'd agreed to stay on at this post. He felt his childhood fascination with the unknown return as he listened to SG-1 described the places they'd been and the things they had seen. To think there was a flourishing civilization on the Earth's cosmic doorstep… It was just a damn shame that they were so openly aggressive. And from what Jack was saying those that lived on the more hospitable planet were too concerned with keeping their existence hidden to care about anything else.

Dr. Jackson had theorized that they were part of the race who originally built the Stargate system and he made a pretty strong case for going back. George wasn't convinced. As far as he was concerned, the new territory was hostile and he wouldn't send another team without considerable forethought.

"They may be able to gain access to the Stargate," Teal'c suggested.

"Colonel?" George questioned.

"Given the defences in place … I doubt it," O'Neill said.

"Then we have nothing to worry about."

"The Arkkadians know we're here, sir. They know Earth is here. Their planet is dying and they'll use any means necessary to find a new one."

"Major Carter, how long do you estimate the transit time between Earth and Arkkadia would be?" George asked.

"Without FTL capability… about eight years," she replied.

"Then we have time."

Time to prepare, time to put some kind of warning system in place. The galaxy was becoming a dangerous place and the human race seemed to be making more enemies than just the Goa'uld. After Apophis had sent his ships there had been some discussion with regards to placing string of satellites in the outer region of the solar system. George realised it was time to dust off those plans and put them into action.

"Thank you SG-1," he said, bringing the briefing to a close. "Go home, get some rest and I don't want to see any of you back here before the week's out."

There was a general mumbling of 'yes sirs', although no one seemed very enthusiastic. SG-1 were the only people he knew who seemed to think that a weeks leave was some kind of punishment. George shook his head as he chuckled to himself, there was no pleasing some people. He noticed that Colonel O'Neill was hanging back.

"Something I can do for you, Jack?" Hammond asked.

"Yes sir."

He seemed a little nervous and George wondered exactly what his request might be.

"It's about my leave, sir. I want to take it on Edora," O'Neill said.

"Jack?"

"I'm not going to retire, if that's what you're worried about. I have to go back, I have to know…"

He left the sentence trailing.

"Understood," George said, "do what you have to, Colonel."

&&&

His team were there to say goodbye. Even though Jack knew he wouldn't be gone long, they were acting as if he were leaving forever. He was starting to wonder if they knew something he didn't. There was only one reason for his journey… to find out if his night with Laira had had any consequences. Jack had been thinking a lot about what he'd said to Daniel in the desert city. If Laira had gotten pregnant then…

"We'll keep the light on, sir," Carter said as Jack walked up the ramp.

The last time he'd been to Edora, Jack had passed through so fast that he'd barely had time to register the changes in the place. Now, taking the time to look around, he could see that the Edorans were well on the way to rebuilding their home. He imagined himself living here again. Helping them build their barns, tend their crops… Somehow, the picture was flawed and he couldn't work out why. There would always be something missing, he realised… even if he couldn't say exactly what that something might be.

It wasn't long before he spotted a group of villagers coming to greet him. The village wasn't far from the Stargate and he guessed that someone must have heard it activate. Laira was there, her smiling face betraying her pleasure at seeing him return. Jack's eyes immediately drifted to her stomach as he tried to detect signs of a telltale bump. Even if she hadn't been wearing full skirts, he realised that it would still be too early to see anything.

The short walk to the village was filled with chatter and laughter. Laira strolled by his side, and Jack couldn't help feeling guilty about what he was about to do to her. He couldn't decide if it would be easier to say something now, or wait until they were alone.

Having settled on the latter, he found it was more difficult that he expected to spend some private time with her. Jack it seemed was in demand. First of all, he was dragged away by Garan to look at the new barn. By the time, he got back to Laira's house the villagers were in the midst of preparing their evening meal. Prudently, Jack refused the liquor Paynan tried to push on him. There was no way he was getting drunk again.

When the party finally broke up, Laira led Jack back to her cottage. She did not speak when they got there, and Jack realised that he would have to make the first move.

"How have you been?" he asked, trying to think of a delicate way to put the question that was uppermost in his mind.

"I am well," she replied.

There was a touch of melancholy in her tone. Laira was no fool and she knew why he was here.

"I promised to come back," Jack went on.

"But not to stay."

"I would if…"

"There is no child Jack."

"I'm sorry."

"I wish it were different."

Jack couldn't find the words answer. He wasn't about to lie and tell her that he was sorry.

"You'll be leaving now?" she asked.

"I have to. There's a threat out there… I'm a soldier not a farmer. I have to protect my home, my friends."

"Our worlds were always too far apart."

"That they were."

Her face was shadowed and he couldn't tell if she was crying or not. Or if she was just trying to be strong. His arms ached to hold her, but he stepped away. Jack had to make a clean break… for both their sakes. His original intention had been to stay the night, but he found he wanted to get home.

"Fair day and be well," he told her.

"Be well, Jack."

He wasn't so sure about that. Jack was well aware that he might be turning his back on his last chance for a home, a family but he kept on walking. He had people waiting for him. Despite General Hammond's orders, Jack knew his team wouldn't have left the base. Daniel would have found some excuse to bury himself in his books. Teal'c would not yet have returned to his wife and son. And Carter… Jack couldn't help smiling as he thought about her. She'd probably be asleep in her lab or gossiping with Janet. She really did work too hard. Next time they had some leave he was going to make sure she took it.

Picking up the pace, he hurried towards the Stargate.

Towards home.


End file.
